The Demigod Games

Chapter Forty-two

Piper's lungs felt like they were about to implode. Every breath racked her body with unbearable pain, every time her foot hit the ground her joints tensed and became all the more sore. She had been running for ages. Though only hours had passed, it felt like decades trudging through the relentlessly restricting snow.

After seeing her boyfriend dead on the ground, she lost all will to live, the only thing she felt was the will to keep her friends safe, to succeed where she had failed with Jason. Death seemed like a delicacy now, a sweet, tasty morsel of relief that would take her out of this hell-hole. A one-way ticket to oblivion.

She remembered the Nymphaeum in Rome, the acidic water nearly drowning them, making them feel as desperate and hopeless as they ever could be. That was how she felt now; without Jason, she was drowning, the water filling her lungs, but this time there was no magic cornucopia to save her.

The skeleton dog. She was the skeleton dog, and that was the end of it. A soulless body, bent on saving the ones she loved. She didn't care if she had to drown now; she was already dead. As long as it saved her friends.

The strings inside of her broke that day in the Nymphaeum. The things holding her together, vanished. The few that were left were thread-bare tatters, and they had been ripped to shreds by Jason's death. She felt awful, but wildly free.

A tear slid down her cheek and she opened her mouth, gasping for air. She muttered to no one, over and over again, the same six words over and over as the distant forest grew ever nearer and the sun sank deep below the hills. She had realized that every one of them were puppets, played for the gods' enjoyment, their strings being pulled as they were being controlled by them, manipulated by them, and ruined by them. Her strings had broken. She was still a puppet, but for the first time in her life, she felt free. She hurt, but she was free. Everything that was keeping her alive didn't matter anymore. There were no more strings for the gods to pull. And so, as the sun finally set and the moon shone over them, she whispered for the last time those six words she had learned to love.

"There are no strings on me."

--

Lara was exhausted. Her trick with paralyzing Edward had drained her, but she kept trudging through the cold sludge, a prominent scowl etched on her face.

She held her bow in her hand as they walked through the forest, the other hand itching to get it's hands on an arrow and let it fly. Lara was thankful for the opportunity that was presented to her by the gods. Her powers had developed, and she was realizing at last her full potential. The trick she'd pulled to get Edward in line has drained her, but it had saved her life.

She pondered what else she could do if she could manipulate the fluids from other demigods' bodies. The possibilities were truly endless.

For the thousandth time, she practiced her victory speech in her head.

As I stand among these Olympians, I realize how insignificant I am.

(That'll show em' I'm humble.)

But, with your help, I have achieved the impossible, and I have reached my full potential. Rome today, Rome yesterday, Rome forever!

She smiled and slung her bow over her shoulder. That'll get the crowd excited.

She held up her hand to signal Edward to stop, but the clumsy oaf snapped a twig.

"Aelia," Lara heard a voice say. Valdez.

"Leo," Aelia said.

"Run."

With a manic smile on her face, she stepped into the clearing, bow drawn back, arrow nocked. A path of charred branches led up to the mountain, and a smoldering fire was lit on the ground.

"Alright Edward," Lara said. "Time to have some fun."

--

Jupiter roared in fury as he pounded his fist on his throne.

"This is an outrage!" He yelled, standing up and throwing his master bolt at the giant screen, which cracked and sparked.

"Zeus," Poseidon pleaded, but Jupiter's stormy eyes only got angrier.

"Jupiter! Neptune, you stupid oaf. Why did I expect you of all people to speak up! Both your children are still competing!" Jupiter roared.

"And both your children are dead!" Poseidon screamed, standing up and grasping his trident. Jupiter's bolt morphed into a sword, tingling with electricity.

They both let out guttural screams of fury and charged. Jupiter swung his sword at Poseidon's torso, and Poseidon deflected it with the shaft of his trident.

"Stop!" A voice yelled, echoing through the throne room.

Athena stood tall, towering over the nine cowering Olympians. She strode over the Poseidon and Jupiter.

"It is not wise for the gods to quarrel like this," Athena said, and Jupiter lowered his crackling sword.

Reluctantly, Poseidon dropped his trident, and the metal clang echoed off the starry ceiling.

"Now, we have the Games to finish, and if anyone objects," she said, "you may leave the throne room, and do not bother returning."

The screen buzzed to life once again, and it revealed a young Latino boy running alongside a young girl. They were running from someone.

Mars clapped his hands, smiling giddily with glee.

And, all fights forgotten, they watched as the children ran in horror of the treacherous unknown.