DIVINE » l. valdez

xxxvii

❝it's easier for me to stay quiet and not speak a word, for if i do, then the truth might emerge ❞

Hina stood below a Greek colonnade, watching the scene unfold before her. The group had split up, Piper, Percy, and Annabeth following the snake king while the rest of the crew gathered at the Acropolis. Hazel used her magic to help disguise the trio of demigods and all they had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity.

Annabeth was in a daze, blood dripping down her legs, and turning gold as it hit the ground- the blood of Olympus. Percy looked around wildly, but his eyes were out of focus.

Then, in the middle of all the chaos was Piper: she was calm, her voice echoing through the hoards of monsters, challenging them to fight her. 

Hundreds of ogres, Earthborn, and Cyclopes lined the entire Parthenon, before a throne were dozens of giants, all cheering for Porphyrion, the giant king. Beside him stood Enceladus and a frozen Periboia, sending alarm bells along Hina's body. 

She didn't have time to think as Piper yelled, "Come on! I'll destroy you all by myself if I have to!"

Hina and Frank drew their bows in sync.

The hair on Hina's neck stood upright with the bitter smell of metal, Jason raised his golden sword, his body covered with dancing electricity. "The thing is, you don't have to."

With a deafening boom an arc of white-hot lightning streaked across the sky, following Jason as he leapt at the giant king.

The next three minutes were a blur of fighting. Jason landed against Porphyrion with enough force to knock the giant onto his back in a flash of lightning, leaving a sword wound embedded in his neck. 

Frank held off the giants nearing Percy with a slew of arrows from onto the colonnade. 

From behind the Parthenon, the Argo II rose above the ruins and fired all the ballistae and catapults simultaneously. Leo had outdone himself. A blast of Greek fire roared to life around the ruins, it incinerated any monsters in its path while never getting close to the interior.

Leo's voice boomed over the loudspeaker: "SURRENDER! YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ONE SPANKING HOT WAR MACHINE!"

The giant Enceladus howled in outrage. "Valdez!"

"WHAT'S UP, ENCHILADAS?" Leo's voice roared back. "NICE DAGGER IN YOUR FOREHEAD."

"GAH!" The giant pulled Katoptris out of his head. "Monsters: destroy that ship!"

They didn't get far: Festus the figurehead blew rows of fire, barbequing anyone who got too close to the Argo. A few Earthborn tossed boulders but from the sides of the hull a dozen Archimedes spheres sprayed out, intercepting the boulders and blasting them to dust.

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Buford ordered.

Hazel rode Arion into battle, the horse barely visible as he shot through crowd of monsters, leaving only a trace of dust behind.

Hina fired an arsenal of arrows as she picked her way through the crowd of monsters towards Annabeth. 

To her amazement, they were winning. Everything went smoothly as Kekrops and his snake people retreated only to be hit with Frank's arrows.

Hina finally reached Annabeth, just as Periboia begun unfreezing at an alarming rate. In the blink of an eye the giantess leaped forward, causing Hina and Annabeth to scatter. Despite her bleeding leg, Annabeth was quick, slicing at Periboia any chance she could get.