They scrambled down the stairs, through a corridor, past a guard’s station, and out into another block of prison cells.
“Left,” Annabeth said. “I remember this from the tour.”
They burst outside and popped up in the prison yard, ringed by security towers and barbed wire. Now that they're out in the sun, she slipped her gift into her pocket and zipped it to make sure it won't fall.
Tourists were milling around, taking pictures. The wind whipped cold off the bay. In the south, San Francisco gleamed all white and beautiful, but in the north, over Mount Tamalpais, huge storm clouds swirled. The whole sky seemed like a black top spinning from the mountain where Atlas was imprisoned, and where the Titan palace of Mount Othrys was rising anew. It was hard to believe the tourists couldn’t see the supernatural storm brewing, but they didn’t give any hint that anything was wrong.
“It’s even worse,” Annabeth said, gazing to the north. “The storms have been bad all year, but that—”
“Keep moving,” Briares wailed. “She is behind us!”
We ran to the far end of the yard, as far from the cell block as possible.
“Kampê’s too big to get through the doors,” Percy said hopefully.
"She can always break the walls."
Then the wall exploded.
"Why in the world would you jinx it?"
"Sorry shrimpy."
Tourists screamed as Kampê appeared from the dust and rubble, her wings spread out as wide as the yard. She was holding two swords—long bronze scimitars that glowed with a weird greenish aura, boiling wisps of vapour that smelled sour and hot even across the yard.
“Poison!” Grover yelped. “Don’t let those things touch you or…”
“Or we’ll die?”.
“Well…after you shrivel slowly to dust, yes.”
“Let’s avoid the swords."
“Briares, fight!” Tyson urged. “Grow to full size!”
Instead, Briares looked like he was trying to shrink even smaller. He appeared to be wearing his absolutely terrified face.
Kampê thundered toward them on her dragon legs, hundreds of snakes slithering around her body.
For a second she thought about drawing her swords and whatever she can use to face her... Then Annabeth said what everyone was thinking.
“Run.”
Thank the gods.
That was the end of the debate. There was no fighting this thing. They ran through the jail yard and out the gates of the prison, the monster right behind them. Mortals screamed and ran.
Emergency sirens began to blare.
They hit the wharf just as a tour boat was unloading. The new group of visitors froze as they saw her group charging toward them, followed by a mob of frightened tourists, followed by…she doesn't know what they saw through the Mist, but it can't be good.
“The boat?” Grover asked.
“Too slow,” Tyson said. “Back into the maze. Only chance.”
“We need a diversion,” Annabeth said.
Tyson ripped a metal lamp post out of the ground. “I will distract Kampê. You run ahead.”
“I’ll help you."
“No,” Tyson said. “You go. Poison will hurt Cyclopes. A lot of pain. But it won’t kill.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go, brother. I will meet you inside.”
Except for Tyson, everyone each took one of Briares’s hands and dragged him toward the concession stands while Tyson bellowed, lowered his pole, and charged Kampê like a jousting knight.
Kampê had been glaring at Briares, but Tyson got her attention as soon as he nailed her in the chest with the pole, pushing her back into the wall. She shrieked and slashed with her swords, slicing the pole to shreds. Poison dripped in pools all around her, sizzling as they ate through the cement.
Tyson jumped back as Kampê’s hair lashed and hissed, and the vipers around her legs darted their tongues in every direction. A lion popped out of the weird half-formed faces around her waist and roared.
As they sprinted for the cell blocks, the last thing she saw was Tyson picking up a Dippin’ Dots stand and throwing it at Kampê.
Ice cream and poison exploded everywhere, all the little snakes in Kampê’s hair dotted with tutti frutti.
They dashed back into the jail yard.
“Can’t make it,” Briares huffed.
“Tyson is risking his life to help you!” Percy yelled at him. “You will make it.”
As they reached the door of the cellblock, she heard an angry roar. She glanced back and saw Tyson running toward them at full speed, Kampê right behind him. She was plastered in ice cream and T-shirts. One of the bear heads on her waist was now wearing a pair of crooked plastic Alcatraz sunglasses.
“Hurry!” Annabeth said.
They finally found the cell where they’d come in, but the back wall was completely smooth—no sign of a boulder or anything.
“Look for the mark!” Annabeth said.
“There!” Grover touched a tiny scratch, and it became a Greek ∆. The mark of Daedalus glowed blue, and the stone wall grinded open.
Tyson was coming through the cell block, Kampê’s swords lashing out behind him, slicing indiscriminately through cell bars and stone walls.
Percy pushed them all inside the maze starting with Briares.
“You can do it!” he told Tyson.
Kampê was gaining. She raised her swords. Tyson will need a distraction — something big. Percy slapped his wristwatch and it spiralled into a bronze shield. Desperately, he threw it at the monster’s face.
Smack!
The shield hit Kampê in the face and she faltered just long enough for Tyson to dive past Percy into the maze. Percy was right behind him.
Then Kampê snatched him up.
"Percy!"
She ran out and ran to the monster, her swords out.
A wolf snapped from the monster's waist. With a chop, it lay useless on the floor.
Kampê screeched. Poison splattered everywhere.
"Run!"
Percy stood in place.
"What the hell are you doing there? RUN!"
She pushed Percy and his legs ran away to the group.
"Come on!" Her friends shouted. "Hurry!"
She ran though it was fruitless. She was too far away. Kampê was larger and she would be easy picking for it.
"See ya later, shrimpy."
Her friends' protests were cut abruptly. The stone door closed and its magic sealed them in.
At least they're safe.
Kampê hissed, her claws out, ready to kill her in one stroke.
"I really hope this won't hurt," she muttered, closing her eyes. She felt like a coward. A monster's here to kill her and yet she covered her eyes, hoping death would come swiftly and painlessly.
Kampê screeched. Something roared. Screeches, roaring, and shrieks mingled together. She opened her eyes and saw Kampê hounded by drakons.
"That's weird."
In her state of disbelief, it was easy for a blonde to push her out of the way of the fight. "You know, next time someone or something wants to kill you, don't just let them."
"Luke?"
"Hey, you."
A crazy giggle went up. "Am I dead?"
"Naw. You're alive."
"Doesn't look like it." She watched the fight. "Am I crazy? You know, I always had a feeling that I will go nuts someday."
Luke lifted her arm with a frown. "Your arm's burned."
"Just a tiny spot. Blame Kampê."
☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎
Elora was taken care of. For now, she had Luke. A little reprieve from deadly situations. Her quest mates on the other hand will face many more death leading situations back in the maze.
"Elora," Percy murmured. "She's gone."
"Stupid woman!"
"Can't believe she's gone." Grover placed an acorn, leaning it on the stone wall.
"An acorn?"
"We picked them a lot," Grover reasoned, tearing up.
"If she were here she'd tell us to suck it up," Percy said.
"And continue the quest," finished Annabeth.
"Then let's do this. For her, for Pan, and for the camp."
☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎
I kinda wish I have a Luke to come and rescue me from my exams T-T
First day of my mid exam starts today!
Subjects: Math science + English
How fun... I'm sure as hell gonna die
Wish me luck?
𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 • 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 • 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞
𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!