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I 028. I
𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔
❝ triple g ranch ❞
THEY FINALLY STOPPED IN A ROOM FULL OF WATERFALLS. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around them, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pot, and even when Ariadne shined a light, she couldn't see the bottom.
Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "The pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and ave you trouble."
"Don't talk that way," Annabeth told him. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."
"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I hav lost everything."
"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."
Briares's expression morphed to something even sadder: a grieving face. "They are how more. They faded."
The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye.
"What exactly do you mean, they faded?" Percy asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."
"Percy," Grover said weakly, "even immortality has limits. Sometimes... sometimes monsters get forgotten and lose their will to stay immortal."
Looking at Grover's face, Ariadne wondered if he was thinking of Pan. She remembered something Medusa told the once: how her sisters, the other two Gordon's, had passed on and left her alone. Then last year Apollo said something about the old god Helios disappearing and leaving him with the duties of the sun god.
She never truly thought about it too much, but now, looking at Briares, she realized how terrible it would be to be so old—thousands and thousands of years old—and totally alone.
"I must go," Briares said.
"Kronos'd army's I'll invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help."
Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."
"You are strong."
"Not anymore." Briares rose.
Hey," Percy grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roast of the water would hide their words.
Ariadne looked to Tyson who was shedding a few tears. She placed a hand on his back and rubbed soothing circles. "Hey, Tyson," she whispered, "it's okay. Briares will be okay."
