The Adventures of Atlanta Johnson: The Golden Arrows

Chapter14: Traps. More Traps. Boom.

Squirt was definitely the weirdest thing I have ever encountered. You might not think that as true, me being a demigod and all. But when a two-legged, eight-eyed squid named Squirt is leading you and is dancing and singing like a diseased elephant, you might rethink things.
"Uptown Funk you up, uptown funk you up." Squirt muttered while dancing half like a swaying thing and half like a chicken with its head cut off.
"You know that song?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course I do. I may be ancient but I'm very hip!" Squirt stated proudly.
"Well, that makes perfect sense." I murmured sarcastically.
Drake laughed. He was riding right next to me.
I leaned my head onto my hands, which rested on my hippocampus' neck. I felt Drakes hand on my shoulder, patting it once.
"Don't worry, Harmony will be fine. If anyone can survive, it's Harmony."
I sighed. " I know, but I'm still worried about her. I mean, what if Ares kills her? Or does something to make her go to his side?"
"Harmony is strong, she will find a way to stall him." Drake encouraged.
I started to say something, but my eyes drifted to a faint green light,. After I noticed it, my hands started tingling.
I stopped, turning my hippocampus towards the light.
"Atlanta? What do you see?" Drake asked.
"I see a green light, a very faint one. Going east."
"I don't see anything." Squirt claimed.
"We need to go this way. Apollo told me that I would sense the power of the arrows when they are near. And I totally feel something." I explained.
"But the arrows are this way. I feel a very strong power this way." Squirt urged.
"Squirt." Drake said stiffly. "Listen to Atlanta. She is the expert on the arrows here."
Squirt scowled, but didn't argue.
I lead the way, following the light. Drake fell in line next to me, Squirt fell behind.
"How do you sense them?" Drake asked.
I moved a strand of hair from my eyes. "I don't know. My hands just started buzzing and I saw a light, wanting me to follow it."
"You'd make a good business woman." Drake stated randomly.
I laughed. "Where did that come from?"
He smiled. "I don't know. You just sounded so sure of your decision to follow the light. It just popped into my mind."
I laughed again. It felt good after all the things that have happened.
"So where to? We- AHHHH!" Drake screamed as he was shot into the air when a volcano of bubbles erupted from under him.
"Drake!" I yelled/laughed. I was smiling until it happened to me. Drake was floating down slowly, trying to calm his hippocampus, who was screaming. I was blown completely off my hippocampus. I went almost completely to the surface. My head hit something, and I got dazed.
I heard Drake's shouts below me, I shook out of my daze and torpedoed myself down. More bubbles were shooting out of the ground. They weren't normal bubbles, they were steaming hot.
"Drake!" I yell.
"Here!" He yells back as he appeared right next to me.
"Where's Squirt?"
"Over there. He's refusing to help because we didn't follow him."
I sighed. "Such a help."
"How do we get past these bubbles?" Drake asked.
I level my hand, and try to stop them. They slowed, but didn't stop.
"Drake go ahead, while they are slowed. I'm gonna try and talk to Squirt."
Drake looked hurt. "You just want me too leave?"
I turned. "I want you to get across. To find anything else that we should watch for."
"Atlanta, I can't just-" Drake started.
I turned back towards Drake. "Go." I choked out.
Drakes shoulders slumped. I knew he couldn't stand to leave me alone, but it was the best way.
I looked up towards the surface and shot myself up, hoping to find Squirt. Sure enough there was, sitting on Harmony's hippocampus.
"Why won't you help us? I spat when he saw me.
Squirt clicked his tongue. "Because you didn't follow me. Your too smart."
That confused me.
"What does brains have to do with it?" I asked.
He stood and faced me. "Because you found out."
I still had no idea what he was talking about.
Seeing that I was confused, he sighed.
"You eluded the trap, I was sent to guide you to my masters lieutenant, not some dumb arrows." He snapped his fingers, and invisible robes tied my hands and feet together. "But no matter, he is right where you were going to." Squirt smiled devilishly.
"Why'd you do this?" I asked.
"Because my master is right. Zeus has been in reign for too long. It's time for a new ruler."
I finally realized what he was talking about.
"Your working for Ares? He'd make a terrible ruler!"
"Who cares? Is Zeus doing any better than Ares will? Or Poseidon?" I shuddered when he said my fathers name. Squirt stared at me.
"Maybe Ares will suck. Or maybe he will be better. But no one cares."
He moved his finger in a forward motion, and a force tried pulling me forward.
"Come, your friend is waiting."
My eyes widened. Drake had been captured too.
His finger motioned me to move. I resisted.
Squirt scowled. "Come on now, don't wanna be difficult do we?"
The force pulled stronger. I didn't budge.
Suddenly, out of no where, something invisible sliced my cheek. I yelped.
Squirt laughed, "See what happens when you don't obey?"
He pulled again, this time, pulling me with him. I waited for the cut too heal, because of the water. It didn't happen. The healing the water gave me was gone.
The buzzing in my hands was getting stronger by the minute, and the green light was growing stronger. I knew the arrows were close. I felt them, just like Apollo had said.
I had been so busy thinking, I didn't realize we'd stopped. A cage sat four feet away. I knew what it was holding.
"Drake." I called softly. "Drake."
He looked up from his hands. His eyes widened. He mouthed,  Are you okay?
I shook slightly, but nodded.
Something moved in front of me. Three figures stood in the dark. A soft chuckled arose from one of them. He stepped forward, I recognized him.
"Well well." Andy said. "Look who we have here. Some old friend."
His eyes were different. They weren't the bright happy purplish blue they used to be. They were murderous red, full of pain.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked.
Andy laughed. A loud, dry cackle. "Because Atlanta, Zeus has been in reign for too long. It's time for a new ruler. The world must change. Ares will fulfill that."
"How do you know Ares will be any better? How will he make the world different?"
"Ares knows what must be done, to make the gods most excellent. Humans have too many privileges."
"You realize your human too?"
"I will be the only one with those privileges, and many more. And when we get these," Andy moved aside, and the arrows lay stuck to a rock. "We will be unstoppable."
I looked in awe at the arrows. There they were, right in front of me. They were found.
"Unfortunately, they are stuck to this rock." Andy said, clearly irritated. "So we are waiting for reinforcements to arrive, to get them off."
I grinned. Something popped in my mind. A crazy idea.
My bonds loosened on my hands and feet. I broke them off and pounced to my right, surprising everyone.
"Grab her!" Andy yelled.
It was now or never.
I thrust my hand out, and spoke, "molōn labé." (Come to me in ancient Greek.)
The arrows softly glowed. The latches let go of the arrows and they shot towards me. I caught them with a grunt.
"Atlanta!" Drake exclaimed, his eyes glowing.
I laughed. I did it. It worked. I couldn't believe it.
Andy growled, the fire in his eyes growing.
He turned to his guards. "Get them from her, now!"
His two guards stumbled towards me, their swords ready.
I took one arrow, and pointed it at a guard. A small silver arrow shot out the tip, hitting the guard between the eyes. I turned to the next guard as he dissolved.
The next guy was smart. He slowly put his weapon down, and ran off. I smiled.
Andy looked at me, a dangerous look on his face. "This isn't over. We don't need to those  arrows to win."
He turned to leave, but I pointed the arrows at him. 
"Wait." I spoke.
He turned slowly.
"Where, is, Harmony? I know you have her." I said slowly, my voice dangerously calm.
Andy expression softened. His eyes closed.
"She is heavily guarded. I will send you a path to find her. I know she needs you. I'm doing this too help her. Not you two."
I felt my harsh look fade. I nodded.
"Thank you." I said.
Andy turned again, and disappeared into the darkness of the kelp.

I broke the latch off of Drake's cage, slowly opening the door. Before the door was even completely open, Drake bolted through and crashed me into a hug.
"You did it! You stood your ground three to one!" Drake exclaimed, his arms wrapped tightly around me.
I pulled away, starting to laugh.
Drake took hold of the arrows, his hand lightly touching mine. Our eyes met.
"We finished." He said proudly, a light smile on his face.
"Not yet," I smiled. "One more thing remember?"
Drake nodded, then took notice of the slice on my face. He lightly touched it. I winced.
"How come it hasn't healed?" Drake asked, pulling his hand away.
"I don't know, it won't go away." I replied weakly.
"Get some ambrosia. It should heal."
"Later." I said. "We have a friend to save."