The Titan's Daughter | complete

24. Hyperion Gives Me A Favour

Thysía's POV

DALLAS CRIED. SHE weeped and held Ahomana's head in her lap. The Stygian Iron pitchfork thing started to fade.

But the battle was still raging around us. I cast a long glance around the ruins, and saw Hyperion still fighting Atlas. The Brigadier had fallen to his hands and knees, and his elbows were buckling. The skeletons were starting to lose.

"Dallas, we need to fight." I said gently, "They're going to win. If we sit here we're going to die."

Dallas turned sharply and glared at me. She opened her mouth to speak, but she caught sight of the monsters starting to advance towards us.

"Dallas, please." I begged.

Suddenly the lines of the prophecy hit me. A choice to raze or mourn. This was her choice. She could sit and mourn, or she could destroy the monsters and win the battle.

"Dallas." I said, "He would have died for nothing."

That seemed to hit her hard. She carefully put Ahomana's head on the ground and stood. She sheathed her bloody sword and and held out her arms.

She closed her eyes, and instinctively ducked.

But I was too late. A circular rippled of light shot from her and sliced throthe monsters like butter. It went through my chest like I wasn't there and went on to kill a pair of dracnae behind me.

Unfortunately, the dead people also

died on impact with Dallas' light blade thing. Suddenly the whole place with covered with yellow dust and bones.

And then she collapsed. I jumped out and caught her, laying her on the ground carefully.

I stood again and looked around. Chrysós was no where to be seen, and I hoped he wasn't one of the dust piles.

It seemed Dallas' light had temporarily distracted Atlas, as Hyperion smacked him so hard I had to wince. The Titan fell towards the swirling sky, where the Brigadier stumbled out and collapsed on the ground beside it. Atlas howled in outrage as he was once again stuck beneath the weight of the sky.

Hyperion let out a breath of air and bent down, carefully picking up the Brigadier and turning towards us. He shook the ground as he walked.

"I see you are the last one standing." He boomed as he set down the Brigadier beside Dallas.

I bowed.

"Thank you, demigod. You have proven yourself well." He told me. His golden armour glinted in the torchlight.

I stayed silent, unsure what to say.

"I will reward you and your friends." He announced.

"Thank you, sir." I gasped.

The golden Titan looked down at his unconscious daughter. Then he looked up to the sky. "Chrysós!" He boomed.

I saw the chestnut pegasus flying down and he landed over Dallas.

"Inform my daughter that she now has a connection with her winged horse." He waved his hand and Chrysós shuddered.

Hyperion turned to Ahomana's lifeless body. "You will see him again, I am sure. For now, I will transport hi body to Camp Half-Blood." He snapped his fingers and the body melted into nothingness.

"I hope so." I choked.

Hyperion looked down at the Brigadier. "Inform him that he will no longer need to wear a mask. I need no improvement there. No one will judge him."

"If I may ask, what would they judge him for?" I inquired.

"You will see, if he removes his helmet." He turned to me, "Now you. For being the last one standing. What reward would you want, demigod?"

I gaped at him. "Anything?"

"Within reason."

I swallowed. "Could - could I decide at another time?"

"You want a favour from me to be used at any time?" Hyperion said, surprised.

"I do, sir." I tried to act confident. I don't think I fooled anyone.

"If that is what you wish." Hyperion nodded. "I have placed enough money in your duffel bag for the three of you to travel back to Long Island by train."

"Thank you, sir."

He hesitated, eyes turning to his daughter once again, "Tell her - tell her to put on the ring if she is at her last breath."

"What do you mean?"

But Hyperion was already walking away. My audience with the Titan was finished.

•••

We stayed flew on Chrysós's back straight to the train station. I payed for our tickets and refused to explain Hyperion had told me until we had boarded the train and we were moving along the tracks.

Dallas was so surprised when I explained our rewards, and she immediately looked out the window at Chrysós flying above them and closed her eyes.

"I can hear his thoughts!" She gasped. Then her eyes flew open, "He spoke to me!"

When I told her about the ring, she just pulled the neck of her shirt up and looked out of the window.

The Brigadier just shook his head and said that he 'needed time' when I explained his reward.

But the worst part of the train ride was deciphering the prophecy.

"The first two lines are obviously about me." Dallas decided.

"So is the a choice to raze or mourn. You could have let us die when Mana-" my voice cracked.

There was silence for a few moments.

"The unclaimed hero will find the key,
To eternal damnation from beneath will spill, those are about Mana." I said.

"So is the last line." The Brigadier said quietly.

"I thought the line was about me, because my mother could be called a goddess of sacrifice." I added.

"An enemy only sacrifice can kill." Dallas murmured, "He sacrificed his life for you. And you had the chance to kill the Nemean Lion."

I reached into my duffel bag and touched the soft fur of the lion's skin that had been left behind.

"So his mother was Hera." I smiled. "No wonder she never claimed him."

Dallas returned the expression.

I looked out of the window and swallowed. I thought about my vow to Ahomana. He'd asked me to seek out his grandmother and tell her about his life and Camp.

I knew I'd leave as soon as I returned to Camp Half-Blood.

But for now, I just enjoyed the rhythmic sound of the train on its tracks and watched the scenery fly by.