𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 [pjo]

twenty-seven; carnival ballerinas

━━━carnival ballerinas

.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．

The air was damp and cold, the sound of something clunking away filling the tiny tunnel. Callahan was behind Percy, her hair tucked up into a bun at the nape of her neck and letting the breeze brush past.

She was exhausted, her head fuzzy and limbs sore from their constant battering. She had run, punched, and swam in under three hours, and her body wouldn't stop screaming at her. She pulled herself forward, though, and continued to ignore her body's anger. She stopped when Percy stopped, swallowing down a 'wait' when he held up his hand to peek around the tunnel's edge. The boy remained silent, his head out of view and he looked out at the room behind them.

"What is it?" Piper whispered from behind her. All Percy did was beckon them forward with his hand, seemingly unable to explain the sight before him. Callahan peeked around the wall to find a circus in front of them. Suspended from the ceiling were cages of live animals—a lion, several zebras, a whole pack of hyenas, and even an eight-headed hydra. Ancient-looking bronze and leather conveyor belts trundled along with stacks of weapons and armor, sort of like the Amazons' warehouse in Seattle, except this place was obviously much older and not as well organized. It felt like a look inside her brain.

Across the floor was a raised dais, a dais with two empty oversized praetor chairs. Standing between them was a bronze jar big enough to hold a person.

"Look." Percy pointed toward the dais.

"Well, that is way too fucking easy." Callahan groaned, turning back to look at Piper and Jason. The two nodded in agreement, and Percy shrugged,

"Well, we have no choice."

"Yep!" Callahan chirped, darting forward and beginning to weave her way through all of the machinery. Percy sighed, shaking his head as he moved after her with Piper and Jason.

"Cal!"

The quartet jumped over a rushing river and dodged the low-hanging conveyor belts, and had made it about halfway to the dais when the ceiling opened up and two of the creepiest giants Callahan had ever seen descended down toward them.

This one had purple snake-infested hair and an insane outfit. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt that even Dionysus would've found vulgar. It had a garish print made up of dying heroes, horrible tortures, and lions eating slaves in the Colosseum. The giant's hair was braided with gold and silver coins. He had a ten-foot spear strapped to his back, which wasn't a good fashion statement with the shirt. He wore bright white jeans and leather sandals on his...well, not feet, but curved snakeheads. The snakes flicked their tongues and writhed as if they didn't appreciate holding up the weight of a giant.

Ephilates smiled like an old friend happy to see them,

"At last!" He bellowed, "so very happy! Honestly, I didn't think you'd make it past the nymphs, but it's so much better that you did. Much more entertaining. You're just in time for the main event!"

The four of them closed ranks, and the three of them beside her made it a little easier. The giant was small compared to some of the things she'd faced, but god the way he looked at them made her blood crawl down her veins.

"We're here," Percy said, which sounded kind of obvious once he had said it. "Let our friend go."

"Of course!" Ephilates smiled, wicked sharp and cruel, "Though I fear he's a bit past his expiration date. Now, Otis where are you?"