𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐄𝐍𝐃! percy jackson ²

xxiii. Taurus Comes For A Visit

    "Do you think we have a special bond with Poseidon?"

    "Huh?" I arched a brow at Cain's random question.

    "I mean, like, I'm friends with you, and you're really really━and I mean really━good friends with Percy, who is Poseidon's favourite child━"

     I rolled my eyes, "Let's not go there."

    "It's a serious question!"

    I walked up to the sacrificial fire. It felt weird that it wasn't lit━there was a cold atmosphere to this place. I found myself shivering. "The connection to this place and the sea is very thin," I glanced back at Cain, realising what I was feeling. "It's still there, which is why this basin still exists, but its very faint━hence why its not lit."

    "Then why did your little Light Buddy lead us here?"

    "I told you, I dunno." I narrowed my eyes at the little ball of light floating right in front of my face. None of this really made sense, to be honest. I hadn't summoned this light, my father told me that he wouldn't give it back (and gods weren't allowed to completely involve themselves in demigod quests). The prophecy most definitely didn't say about him giving it back either. I wondered whether it was Hades, but that didn't make sense. Kronos wouldn't have the power to do this━it wasn't in his abilities, and beside, he wasn't physical. The Lord of Time was only but a spirit, floating in the air. He wouldn't be able to do something like this (at least, in the state he is in now). My mind then switched to the possibility that it was another child of Apollo; someone who was like me. I always thought and told I was the only person who could harness light and manipulate it, but━

    My heart jolted. No, I can't think that. I shouldn't have high hopes. I know Timmy is alive somewhere, but the likeliness that he would be here in the maze? Here in the maze, and with the exact same abilities as me? No, that couldn't be it.

    And yet now that I had thought of it, no matter how much I pushed it away, I wanted it to be the case.

    "Are we meant to sacrifice something?" Cain was suddenly beside me, and I jumped. "Like, some water crackers or whatever?"

    I tried to imagine Poseidon receiving water crackers as a sacrifice and I managed a small smile. "No ... at least I don't think so..."

    Cain glanced back up at the ceiling. "Are those Hercules's Twelve Labours?"

    "Yup..." I placed my hands on my hips, looking up. "Hercules prayed to my Dad for guidance. He received that guidance through the Oracle who told him he had to serve under the King Eurystheus and do the Twelve Labours as punishment for the murder of his wife and children. At least, that's the story. While my Dad likes to say he sent Hercules after the Nemean Lion, Chiron told me it was Hera who put the idea of the Twelve Labours into Eurystheus's head. Which makes sense, Hera wanted to put him through misery, which was why he killed his family in the first place."

    "Why?" asked Cain.

    I shrugged. "The usual, she turned him momentarily insane. You know the lady Hercules falls in love with in the Disney movie?"

    "Yeah, Megara━ohhh..."

    "Yeah."

    "The gods aren't that nice," Cain placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

    I shook my head, letting out a sad sigh. "No ... sometimes I think that if they had treated us differently, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation. Then Luke wouldn't have turned, neither would Jay ... but in the end, it is you as an individual who makes the decision to go astray. That's why I think there's still hope left in Luke. I know the individual inside him. He ... he'll come back."