The Daughter of Hecate (Percy Jackson/Harry Potter)

The General

Luke and Percy had to be extremely careful when they were flying in the sky. Fortunately, the were able to keep their flying steeds in the clouds which were pretty low in the winter.

The two demigods darted around, trying to keep the Camp Half-Blood van in sight. They had lost the van twice, but Percy had the idea that they would go to Manhattan first, so it wasn't too difficult to pick up their trail again.

The two landed on the top of the Chrysler building, watching as the white camp van drove past the bus station and towards the Lincoln tunnel.

The two were about to go after them, but vines-grape vines-had sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the building and around their legs. They couldn't move.

"Going somewhere?" Mr. D asked, appearing.

He was leaning against the building with is feet levitating in the air, his leopard-skin warm-up suit and black hair whipping around in the wind.

Blackjack whinnied, and Luke figured that the black Pegasus must've said something about the wine god as Mr. D sighed in exasperation. "The next person, or horse, who calls me the 'Wine Dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"

Luke bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling in amusement.

"Mr. D." Percy said, trying to keep his voice calm. "What do you want?"

"Oh, what do I want? You thought, perhaps, that the immortal, all-powerful director of camp would not notice you two leaving without permission?'"

"Well... maybe." Percy admitted.

"I should throw you off this building, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down."

Percy and Luke clenched their fists, trying to keep themselves from talking back.

"Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"

Purple flames flickered in Dionysus' eyes. "You're a hero, boy. I need no other reason."

"I have to go on this quest! I've got to help my friends. That's something you wouldn't understand!"

"Percy..." Luke said, trying to get the younger demigod to stop talking.

The grape vines just coiled tighter around them. Below them, the white van was getting further and further away. Soon it would be out of sight.

"Did I ever tell you about Ariadne?" Mr. D asked. "Beautiful young princess of Crete? She liked helping her friends, too. In fact, she helped a young hero named Theseus, also a son of Poseidon. She gave him a ball of magical yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how Theseus rewarded her?"

"They got married." Percy said. "Happily ever after. The end."

Mr. D sneered. "Not quite. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he ... What's the word you mortals us today? ... he dumped her. I found her there, you know. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."

"That's horrible." Luke frowned, feeling disgusted.

"But that was thousands of years ago What's that got to do with us?" Percy asked.

Mr. D regarded them coldly. "I fell in love with Ariadne, boy. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at your ridiculous camp."