tartarus and back ⇩

34. overwhelming fear

I was anything but ready for our mini quest, and Piper's dream didn't help anything. Neither did Percy exploding the toilets.

"No way are you three going down there alone," Percy said.

Leo ran down the hall waving a wrench. "Man, did you have to destroy the plumbing?"

Percy ignored him. Water ran down the gangway. The hull rumbled as more pipes burst and sinks overflowed. I lifted my hands and pushed the water back, slightly calming it down.

"We'll be all right," Annabeth told him. "Piper foresaw the three of us going down there, so that's what needs to happen."

Percy glared at Piper like it was all her fault. "And this Mimas dude? I'm guessing he's a giant?"

"Probably," she said. "Porphyrion called him our brother."

"And a bronze statue surrounded by fire," Percy said. "And those ... other things you mentioned. Mackies?"

"Makhai," Piper said. "I think the word means battles in Greek, but I don't know how that applies, exactly."

"That's my point!" Percy said. "We don't know what's down there. I'm going with you."

I was all for it, but Annabeth spoke up before I could agree.

"No." Annabeth put her hand on his arm. "If the giants want our blood, the last thing we need is a boy and a girl going down there together. Remember? They want one of each for their big sacrifice."

"Then I'll get Jason and Frank," Percy said. "And the three of us –"

"Seaweed Brain, are you implying that three boys can handle this better than three girls?"

"No. I mean ... no. But –"

Annabeth kissed him. "We'll be back before you know it."

I wrapped him in a tight hug and held it for a while before rushing off to follow the other girls.

An hour later, the three of them stood on a hill overlooking the ruins of Ancient Sparta. They'd already scouted the modern city– a bunch of low, boxy, whitewashed buildings sprawled across a plain at the foot of some purplish mountains. Annabeth had insisted on checking the archaeology museum, then the giant metal statue of the Spartan warrior in the public square, then the National Museum of Olives and Olive Oil (yes, that was a real thing). It was strangely peaceful. They found no statues of chained gods.

Annabeth seemed reluctant to check the ruins on the edge of town, but finally they ran out of other places to look.

There wasn't much to see. According to Annabeth, the hill they stood on had once been Sparta's acropolis – its highest point and main fortress.

The weathered slope was covered with dead grass, rocks and stunted olive trees. Below, ruins stretched out for maybe a quarter of a mile: limestone blocks, a few broken walls and some tiled holes in the ground like wells.

Piper wiped the sweat from her forehead. "You'd think if there was a thirty-foot-tall giant around we'd see him."

Annabeth stared at the distant shape of the Argo II floating above downtown Sparta. She fingered the red coral pendant on her necklace – a gift from Percy when they started dating. I wished I had been there to see them grow together. It seemed like just yesterday they were bickering in the camp van while we headed off on our quest.

"You're thinking about Percy," Piper guessed.

Annabeth nodded.

Th girls had all talked late at night together, though I had never opened up. Annabeth had recounted some of their tales, though, and most often talked about me and Percy controlling the poison.