Altered Destinies

Back to the Labyrinth

The traitorous demigods all glared at Percy but their faces were pale white from the threat. Ethan tried grabbing Percy but Percy spun and grabbed him by the throat again and threw him into the feet of his friends.

"I said I'd go. I didn't say you could touch me, traitor." Percy growled at a furious Ethan.

Ethan was about to say something when another one of the demigod's spoke first, "Leave him. We can let Luke decide what to do with him."

Ethan looked furious but nodded.

"Wise decision." Percy muttered as he walked up to his friends who were now weaponless.

"What are you doing Percy?" Zoe whispered.

Percy smiled at her, "Do you trust me?"

Zoe looked surprised by the question before she looked him in the eyes and nodded, "I do."

Percy's smile grew "Then just follow my lead. I want a word with the traitor son of Hermes anyway."

Zoe looked at him worriedly but nodded as they were led by two of the demigods while the rest and the monsters trailed behind them with their weapons out.

The group was led through the tunnel until they came to two large bronze doors. They were ten feet tall and emblazoned with two crossed swords. The cheering of a crowd from behind the doors made everyone, including Percy, a little nervous about what they were walking into.

Zoe looked up at Percy a little nervously when she saw the apprehension in his usually fearless eyes. She quickly reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze to let him know she was with him no matter what.

Percy looked at her and gave her a small smile and nod before the demigods pushed the doors open, revealing a large circular arena. The floors were dirt and the arena was large, close to the same size as the sword fighting arena at Camp Half Blood. In the center of the arena, a fight was going on between a giant and a centaur. The centaur looked panicked. He was galloping around his enemy, using a sword and shield, while the giant swung a javelin the size of a telephone pole as the crowd cheered. Benches wrapped all the way around the arena, and every seat was full. There were giants, Dracaena, demigods, Telekhines, and stranger things: bat-winged demons and creatures that seemed half human and half you name it-bird, reptile, insect, mammal.

The creepiest things were the skulls. The arena was full of them. They ringed the edge of the railing. Three-foot-high piles of them decorated the steps between the benches. They grinned from pikes at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like chandeliers. Some of them looked very old-nothing but bleached-white bone. Others looked a lot fresher. In the middle of all this, proudly displayed on the side of the spectator's wall, was something that made Percy's blood boil-a green banner with the trident of Poseidon in the center.

Percy was pushed forward by one of the demigods while his friends were herded towards a cage in the side of arena. Percy pushed the demigod back hard, sending him toppling to the ground. Percy was about to attack the others when a booming voice from the stands stopped him in his tracks.

Percy turned around to find only the giant remaining along with a pile of golden dust with a sword and shield beside it. Percy's eyes caught sight of an even bigger giant seated in the front row of the stands, his eyes locked on Percy.

"Who do we have here?" The giant boomed.

Percy looked to the giant's left and saw Luke Castellan saying something to the giant that Percy couldn't hear. The giant's eyes widened before he raised his hand for silence. The cheering crowd immediately fell silent and turned to the giant with anticipation.