The Daughter of the Sky // Wattys 2016

Chapter 18

     As it turns out, Olympus wasn't a mountain located in Greece. 

Well it still was, but it wasn't home to the gods anymore. Mount Olympus and the concept of Olympus were two completely different things. Paris explained that the Greek gods shift with each new wave of civilization. 

During the era of the Greeks they resided in Greece, then they moved to Rome during the rule of the Roman Empire and became the Roman gods. Then, they kept shifting more and more each time, until they were at the very epitome and center of western civilization. America.

     Naturally, and in very dramatic Greek fashion, Olympus was on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, right smack in the middle of New York City in one of their most important buildings. 

Percy, Paris and I walked inside the glittering lobby, packed with tourists from all over the world. There was no way we were ever going to make it to the 600th floor of Olympus while this place was open and there was absolutely no way I was taking the stairs.

    "No worries. I got this," Percy winked and strolled near a doorman standing in a corner of the crowded lobby. I hadn't even noticed him before. He looked sickly; tall and pale, with a distant look in his eye. His bald head reflected the golden lights of the elaborate lobby. It would be easy to mistake the guy for a skeleton. Something about him was unsettling but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

 Percy handed him six golden drachmas, the currency of the gods. The man studied the coins carefully in his palm. I worried he would call security on us or throw the coins in Percy's face, but he merely tucked them away in the pocket of his maroon coat.

    "Come along, demigods," the man nodded and stepped aside, revealing another door. 

I was positive that wasn't there before. 

I decided not to argue, and began to follow my friends into the dark abyss ahead of us. The small entrance led to a complex and winding series of tunnels. There were at least six off to my left, four in the middle, and another two to the right. The place was dark; the only source of light was coming from the full light of fire torches over our heads. The place was definitely old and smelled even worse than the Hermes cabin and the Pegasus stables at camp combined. If I listened closely I could hear the distant pitter patter of what sounded like pipes leaking.

    "Um," Percy held his nose, "isn't there supposed to be a service elevator right around here?" He pointed in between the first and second tunnels on his left. "I could've sworn it was right here."

    The doorman chuckled; the crook between his shoulder and neck began to bubble and steam. Man, it was too early for this. I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes but it was no use. Before I knew it the man had grown eight other separate heads and they weren't even human. In fact, the man's own skin was melting off, revealing a pattern of grey reptilian scales.

    "Shit," Percy cursed underneath his breath and began to back up, "not you again." The monster's necks began to multiply in size right before my very eyes, expanding towards the ceiling above. The monster looked like a weird hybrid between a snake, a lizard and a t-rex, with long, razor sharp teeth and beady golden eyes. It had at least ten heads, all sprawled out like deadly spaghetti. 

    "It's the Hydra," Percy scowled, backing away from the creature slowly.

    "The what?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

    "The Hydra," Paris repeated, looking at me with her wide grey eyes, "in myths the monster was said to have five to nine heads. If you cut off one, two more grow in its place."