The Curse of Achilles (PJO AU)

The Son of Neptune (Part 6)

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Frank went to work freeing Thanatos with his weird death-stick that Percy still didn't fully understand. Hazel charged Alcyoneus. That left Percy with the job of protecting Frank from the ghostly Roman army.

As the ghosts closed in, Percy yelled in defiance and swung Riptide. At first, he was pleased to see that his sword dispelled the ghosts, but they re-formed only seconds later. No matter how many times he cut them down, they came right back. He needed more power.

His memory wasn't all the way back yet, but Percy knew enough. His home was New York, his mother's apartment, and Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth was waiting for him. And he wasn't the son of Neptune—no, his father was Poseidon. And the sea was his to command.

Percy felt the familiar tug in his gut. He slashed and hacked endlessly, feeling the winds and the cold pick up as a miniature hurricane of water and ice vapor formed around him. He kept the shades too occupied to even think about going for Frank.

Then he saw the ghost unlike the others. It was wearing the lion's-skin cape of a standard-bearer and holding a pole with a golden eagle, icicles frozen to its wings.

The legion's standard.

Percy's plan changed instantly. He started wading through the army's ranks, knocking Roman ghosts away, deflecting arrows and spears with his sword and hurricane. The ghosts followed him, just as he had expected them to, completely forgetting about Frank.

It was almost too easy as Percy plowed through a line of legionnaires, scattering their shields with his personal cyclone. He knocked down the standard-bearer and grabbed the eagle.

"You want it back?" he shouted at the ghosts. "Come and get it!"

Percy drew the ghosts farther away from Frank. He allowed himself a small moment of pride for getting the eagle, but it was cold, and heavy in his tired arms. He hadn't had much practicing summoning a hurricane, and it was draining him. He could feel sweat running down his face despite the frigid air. He didn't have long before the hurricane dissolved.

He kept fighting. He'd thought the army was small, but it seemed so much bigger since every single ghost he destroyed simply re-formed. He reached the end of the Via Principalis, leaving an overturned chariot and several destroyed buildings in his wake. Every time he threw off a wave of attackers in his hurricane, the ghosts just got up and charged again. He'd backed up almost as far as he could go. Behind him was the side gate of the camp, and about twenty feet beyond that, the edge of the glacier.

Hazel and Alcyoneus were still fighting, destroying most of the structures that Percy hadn't already. Frank was almost done freeing Thanatos.

Percy forced himself to focus as he felt his grip on the hurricane slipping. At least the mark of Achilles was protecting him from injury, but that wouldn't help if he dropped from exhaustion.

"Percy!" Frank yelled. "They can die now!"

Percy looked over, noticed that Thanatos was free, and nodded in understanding. He was so tired. His hurricane was slowing down. His strikes were getting slower. The entire ghostly army had him surrounded, gradually forcing him toward the edge of the glacier.

But they could die now. If he could just hold out a little longer . . .

Hazel cried out in pain. Percy glanced over, seeing Hazel and Arion crash into the ramparts. Frank called out her name and looked at Percy. Percy could see that Frank had meant to help him, but Hazel needed him more.

"Go help her!" Percy yelled, holding the golden eagle aloft. "I've got these guys!"

Percy wasn't sure Frank believed him—Percy didn't believe himself—but the son of Mars ran to Hazel's aid.