Percy Jackson and the Dark Elites

XXI

Grover

Grover shouldn't have asked about Leo.

Without a second thought, Grover took his hand off Annabeth's arm and sprinted after Nico and Will.

As a satyr, he caught up quick. As a centaur, Chiron caught up faster, even with Annabeth in his back.

They reached a clearing in the woods where there was evidence of a giant. But none of Hazel.

"Are you sure?" Will asked Nico.

"Yes I can feel her, she's so close it hurts."

"And Alcyoneus?" Annabeth jumped to the ground, drawing her drakon bone sword.

"Yes." Nico spun in a circle looking above at the trees. His eyes where glancing on the shadows, on the far side of the sun.

Grover got his pipes ready. "Back there?"

Nico squinted, he held his hands up, ready for some underworld magic.

Shave dropped out of the trees where they were staring. Grover wondered how a Dark Elite in purple and gray could hide so easily in the woods from the Lord of the Wild himself.

Chiron's frown turned into a scowl. "I thought you had protection against this."

"He must've gotten through before we destroyed the gates." Shave explained.

Grover tuned his senses to the wild around them. "Sh!" He snapped harshly. Something powerful was behind them.

Grover whipped around to play his pipes when Ruin smacked his hand into the reeds and drew them away from his lips.

"Are you planning to kill a giant with no God and music?"

Grover hardened his jaw. Two elites. Two had slipped passed him in his own territory.

A large snap sounded behind them. Nico drew his sword and headed for the sound.

"Wait-" Ruin advised.

The source of the cracking sound came hurling through the air towards the group in the form of a large tree with a broken base.

Both the Elites ducked to the ground and sprinted to opposite sides. The others followed their example shortly after.

The tree smashed into the dirt behind them tearing rocks out of the ground an destroying moss.

Grover played a rushed tune and turned the roots of the trees an plants around them to hardened steel.

Ruin leapt onto a broken branch an ran on it like a balance beam up into the trees. He drew his bow and fired at something down the hill.

"What do we do without a god?" Annabeth yelled, passing Grover and taking cover behind a bush.

"We get your friend!" Shave yelled. "He needs her for a reason!"

Nico stepped into the shadow of the broken tree an disappeared. Grover played the tune of harmony, dazing their giant friend of the world around him.

They all took advantage of the gap. Shave drew two swords, Ruin slipped higher into the trees until Grover could no longer find him.

When they cleared the bushes there was a slightly buzzed giant on the other side.

"Hey, punk," Nico called from the other side of the grove.

Bones of hybrid animals and skeleton hands tore out of the ground, clawing at the legs of Alcyoneus. The giant roared.