𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐋𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

✦ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍 ✦

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 pit, and even when Aurora shone 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. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured, "I should jump in and save you trouble."

"Don't talk that way," Aurora told him.

"Yeah, you can come back to Camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody." Annabeth nodded.

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said, "I have lost everything."

"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked, "The other two must still stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."

Briares' expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face.

"They are no 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 they lose their will to stay immortal."

Looking at Grover's face, Percy wondered if he were thinking of Pan. He remembered something Medusa had told them once: how her sisters, the other two gorgons, 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.

Percy had never thought about it too much, but now, looking at Briares, he 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' army will 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 roar of the water would hide their words. "Briares, we need you. In case you haven't noticed, Tyson believes in you. He risked his life for you."

Percy told him about everything – Luke's invasion plan, the Labyrinth entrance at Camp, Daedalus's workshop, and Kronos' golden coffin.

Briares just shook his head. "I cannot, demigod. I do not have a finger gun to win this game"