𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 ― p. jackson ¹ ✓

sept

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time," Eurytion told her. "Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I — uh — did him a favor. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disc would lead me to his forges. But only once."

"And you're giving it to me?" Annabeth questioned.

Eurytion blushed a light shade of red. "I don't need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you'll be on your way."

Annabeth pressed the button. The disc sprang to life and grew eight metallic legs. She shrieked and dropped it on the ground, which made Eurytion incredibly confused.

"Spider!" Annabeth screamed.

"She's, um, a little scared of spiders," Grover explained to Eurytion. "That old grudge between Athena and Arachne."

Eurytion looked a little embarrassed. "Oh. Sorry miss."

The metallic spider scurried over to the cattle grid and disappeared between the bars.

"Hurry," Percy urged. "That thing's not going to wait for us."

Annabeth didn't seem anxious to follow, but this was their only chance to get to Daedalus' workshop. They all said their goodbyes to Eurytion, and after Tyson pulled off the cattle grid, they all dropped back down into the Labyrinth.

The mechanical spider was going so fast, Belle could barely keep up. Grover and Tyson's excellent hearing was the only thing that kept them from losing the spider. It led them down a marble tunnel and suddenly made a sharp left. Belle skidded to a stop once she saw the room. The tunnel continued on in front of them, but there was no floor for about a hundred feet. Metal rungs were attached to the ceiling. The metal spider was getting across them no problem, swinging from bar to bar by shooting out metal webs.

"Monkey bars," Annabeth announced. "I'll great at these."

Annabeth leaped onto the first rung and swung her away across. She quickly got to the opposite side and ran after the spider. Percy followed and got across as well. Tyson — while carrying Grover — made it across the monkey bars in three swings, but the last iron bar ripped off the wall from his weight once he was finished.

"Oh," Belle said to herself. "That's cool."

"Belle!" Percy shouted, his voice panicked.

She looked up. The Labyrinth was underground, which meant it was close to the plant roots above it. Belle could feel hundreds of them around her. She concentrated for a moment while raising her hand, and almost on cue, a bunch of plant roots bursted through the ceiling. Belle made them form rungs so that they resembled monkey bars. She grasped onto one, and it was strong enough to hold her weight. Belle easily swung across and stuck her landing next to Percy.

Percy stared at her, adoration flashing in his eyes. "You're incredible, Beauty."

Belle gave him a small smile with red cheeks. "Thank you, Aqua Boy."

"Keep going!" Annabeth exclaimed.

The two snapped out of their trances and continued following the spider. They passed a skeleton wearing the remains of a dress shirt, trousers, and a tie, and also slipped on a pile of broken pencils.

Suddenly, the tunnel opened up into a large room. Belle was immediately blinded by the blazing light. Once her eyes adjusted, she glanced around. Dozens of skeletons littered the ground — old and recent. Then she saw the monster. On a glittery dais, a Sphinx — her body of a huge lion and her head of a woman with a tight bun and too much makeup — sat prettily. A blue ribbon badge that said THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY! was pinned onto her shirt.