¹𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ! - percy jackson

-003

Quintus grunted. "I would hope so. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And even if he were alive, don't the old stories say he fled from the Labyrinth?"

Chiron clopped restlessly on his hooves. "That's the problem, my dear Quintus. No one knows. There are rumors...well, there are many disturbing rumors about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared back into the Labyrinth toward the end of his life. He might still be down there."

"We need to go in," Annabeth announced. "We have to find the workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, we convince him to help us, not Luke. If Ariadne's string still exists, we make sure it never falls into Luke's hands."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "If we're worried about an attack, why not just blow up the entrance? Seal the tunnel?"

"Great idea!" Grover said. "I'll get the dynamite!"

"It's not so easy, stupid," Clarisse growled. "We tried that at the entrance we found in Phoenix. It didn't go well."

Annabeth nodded. "The Labyrinth is magical architecture, Percy. It would take huge power to seal even one of its entrances. In Phoenix, Clarisse demolished a whole building with a wrecking ball, and the maze entrance just shifted a few feet. The best we can do is prevent Luke from learning to navigate the Labyrinth."

"We could fight," Lee said optimistically. "We know where the entrance is now. We can set up a defensive line and wait for them. If an army tries to come through, they'll find us waiting with our bows."

"We will certainly set up defenses," Chiron agreed. "But I fear Clarisse is right. The magical borders have kept this camp safe for hundreds of years. If Luke manages to get a large army of monsters into the center of camp, bypassing our boundaries...we may not have the strength to defeat them."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy with a collective unease. Chiron usually tried to be upbeat and optimistic. If he was predicting they couldn't hold off an attack, that wasn't good.

"We have to get to Daedalus's workshop first," Annabeth insisted. "Find Ariadne's string and prevent Luke from using it."

Percy's skepticism was evident in his voice. "But if nobody can navigate in there, what chance do we have?"

"I've been studying architecture for years," she said. "I know Daedalus's Labyrinth better than anybody."

He scoffed, "From reading about it."

Annabeth nodded reluctantly. "Well, yes."

"That's not enough," Percy retorted.

Sensing the rising tension, Stella interjected, "But what if it is?

Percy's gaze locked onto hers, resolute. "It isn't!"

Undeterred, Stella shot back. "Are you going to help us or not?"

Her gaze swept the onlookers, realizing everyone was watching the exchange with avid curiosity. Mrs. O'Leary's squeaky yak went EEK as she ripped off its pink rubber head.

Chiron cleared his throat. "First things first. We need a quest. Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus, and prevent Luke from using the maze to invade this camp."

"We all know who should lead this," Clarisse said. "Annabeth."

There was a murmur of agreement. Stella could see the conflict in Annabeth's grey eyes—the weight of anticipation and responsibility conflicting with a long-awaited desire for her own quest since childhood.

"You've done as much as I have, Clarisse," Annabeth countered. "You should go, too."

Clarisse shook her head. "I'm not going back in there."