Just after dawn, the quest group met at Zeus's Fist.
Lilia had packed her backpack—thermos with nectar, baggie of ambrosia, bedroll, rope, clothes, flashlights, and lots of extra batteries. She had whisperer on her wrist and a dagger stashed in her bag incase.
It was a clear morning. The fog had burned off and the sky was blue. Campers would be having their lessons today, flying pegasi and practicing archery and scaling the lava wall.
Meanwhile, they could be heading underground.
Juniper and Grover stood apart from the group. Juniper had been crying again, but she was trying to keep it together for Grover's sake. She kept fussing with his clothes, straightening his rasta cap and brushing goat fur off his shirt. Since they had no idea what we would encounter, he was dressed as a human, with the cap to hide his horns, and jeans, fake feet, and sneakers to hide his goat legs.
Chiron, Quintus, and Mrs. O'Leary stood with the other campers who'd come to wish them well, but there was too much activity for it to feel like a happy send-off. A couple of tents had been set up by the rocks for guard duty. Beckendorf and his siblings were working on a line of defensive spikes and trenches. Chiron had decided we needed to guard the Labyrinth exit at all times, just in case.
Annabeth was doing one last check on her supply pack.
"I'm getting a bit sick of you running off Lil." Celia smiled sadly.
"Hey, at least I told you this time." She tried sounding upbeat but no one was fooled, the girl was terrified and her friends could see it.
"Promise you'll get back safe." Celia whispered, pulling her into a hug.
"Yeah." She sighed. She knew better than to actually promise her that. That was a big chance one of the wasn't making it back home.
Silena pulled Lilia in next, too busy crying to say anything. Lilia held her tight, Silena was one of the few people she could truly call family and that comforted her slightly.
Connor and Travis pulled her into a group hug and tried giving her a farewell gift but she didn't want to risk taking it, she knew what they were like.
She gave them all one big smile before taking a deep breath and turning toward the others. She walked down the hill and frowned. "Percy, you look terrible."
"He killed the water fountain last night," Tyson confided.
"What?" she asked.
Before he could explain, Chiron trotted over. "Well, it appears you are ready!"
He tired to sound calm but it was clear even he was anxious for this quest.
"Hey, uh, Chiron, can I ask you a favor while I'm gone?" Percy asked.
"Of course, my boy."
"Be right back, guys." He nodded toward the woods. Chiron raised an eyebrow, but he followed.
Lilia stared after them, they stood talking for a few minutes, Lilia twisted her ring anxiously, they were taking a while.
"I'm going over there." She huffed.
"But it might be important." Annabeth said.
"If we don't go now, I don't know if I'll be able to at all." she sighed.
She trudged over to them. "Percy, you ready?"
He nodded, his hands slipped into his pockets and turned to Quintus who raised his hand in farewell.
"Take care," Chiron told them. "And good hunting."
"You to." Percy said.
They walked over to the rocks where Tyson, Annabeth and Grover were waiting for them. Lilia stared at the crack between the boulders, she shivered, despite sunlight hitting the passage directly, it remained pitch black.
"Well," Grover said nervously. "Goodbye sunshine."
"Hello rocks." Tyson agreed.
And together, the five of them descended into darkness.
Lilia's heart pounded as the entrance to the labyrinth disappeared. She couldn't see anything around her, the only comfort she had was the heavy breaths of the others stood next to her.
"I don't like this." She whispered into the never ending black.
"Me either." Grover said turning on his flashlight, everyone else following.
The hallway was nothing like the one her and Percy had fallen into, it now resembled a circular sewage tunnel, constructed of red bricks and iron barred potholes every ten feet.
Lilia shined her light up one of them, out of curiosity, but it just lead to more empty darkness. She could have sworn she heard voices beyond it, but just hoped it was the wind. She shivered following Annabeth's lead.
Annabeth tired to lead them as best she could.
"If we stick to the left wall we should be able to find our way back if we just reverse course." Unfortunately as soon as she said that the left wall disappeared leaving them in a circular chamber leading to eight different tunnels.
"Um, where did we just come from?" Grover asked.
"Just turn back around." Annabeth said.
They each turned to a different tunnel, none of them could decide which way led back to camp.
"Left walls are mean." Tyson said. "Which way now?"
Annabeth's pointed her light at each archway, "that way." She said pointing to one on our right. Lilia wasn't sure what made her pick that one seeing as they all looked the exact same.
"How do you know?" Percy asked.
"Deductive reasoning." She shrugged.
"So... you're guessing." Percy said.
"Just come on." She said.
The tunnel she'd chosen narrowed quickly. The walls turned grey and the ceiling go so low they had to start hunching, poor Tyson was forced to crawl.
Lilia turned back shining her torch behind her, the shadows seemed to move unnaturally behind her, almost like they were alive. She let out a small noise of destress.
"I don't want to be at the back anymore." She said frantically pulling Percy behind her by his hand, except she didn't let go of it once she was safely between him and Grover.
He squeezed her hand gently and she silenced, deciding not to look behind them again.
Grover's hyperventilating became the loudest thing in the maze. "I can't stand it anymore." He whispered "Are we there yet?"
"We've been down here, maybe five minutes." Annabeth said back.
"It's been longer than five minutes." Grover said. "Why would Pan be down here? This is the opposite of wild!"
They kept shuffling through, the tunnel seemingly shrinking more and more as they went, but just as Lilia thought they were going to get crushed by the walls, they opened up into a huge room.
"Woah." Percy whispered shining his flashlight around the room. The walls faded and dirt covered, but Lilia could make out the colourful mosaic tiles that stretched across all the walls and the ceiling.
The Frieze showed the Olympian Gods at a feast, though they weren't very accurate, Lilia had seen the Gods last winter and they hadn't looked like this at all, despite that there were some familiarity in their appearances that Lilia could quite place.
"This looks—" Percy frowned.
"Roman." She said. "These are Roman, probably two thousand years old." She said admiring the beautiful tiles.
"How could these be Roman?" Percy asked.
As if reading his mind Annabeth replied, "The labyrinth is a patchwork. I told you, it's always expanding, adding pieces. It's the only work of architecture that grows on its own."
"You make it sound like it's alive." He whispered. Lilia shivered thinking back to the shadows she'd seen earlier.
"Please can we not talk about it being alive?" Grover whispered as they heard a loud groan, like mechanics moving, up ahead.
"Alright," Annabeth said. "Forward."
"Down that hall?" Lilia asked pointing ahead. "The one with the scary sounds?" She looked at Annabeth with a pleading look.
"Yes." She replied. "The maze is getting older, that's good. Daedalus's workshop should be in the oldest part of the maze.
That made sense but unfortunately the maze started toying with them. They walked about fifty feet and the walls turned back to cement with brass pipes running down the side. The walls were spray painted with graffiti. A neon tagged sign read, MOZ RULZ.
"I'm thinking that's not Roman." Percy helpfully said.
Annabeth took a deep breath, then forged ahead.
Every few feet the tunnels twisted and turned and branched off. The floor beneath them changed from cement to mud to bricks and back again. There was
no sense to any of it. They stumbled into a wine cellar a bunch of dusty bottles in wooden racks-like they were walking through somebody's basement, only there was no exit above them, just more tunnels leading on.
Later the ceiling turned to wooden planks, and they could hear voices above them and the creaking of footsteps, as if they were walking under some kind of bar. It was reassuring to hear people, but then again, they couldn't get to them.
They were stuck down here with no way out. Then they found their first skeleton.
He was dressed in white clothes, like some kind of uniform. A wooden crate of glass bottles sat next to him.
"A milk man." Lilia said averting her eyes.
"What?" Percy asked.
"They used to deliver milk." She said giving him a weird look. Was he stupid.
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know what they are, but...that was when my mom was little, like a million years ago. What's he doing here?"
"Some people wander in by mistake," Annabeth said. "Some come exploring on purpose and never make it back. A long time ago, the Cretans sent people in here as human sacrifices."
Grover gulped. "He's been down here a long time." He pointed to the skeleton's bottles, which were coated with white dust. The skeleton's fingers were clawing at the brick wall, like he had died trying to get out.
"Only bones," Tyson said. "Don't worry, goat boy. The milkman is dead."
"The milkman doesn't bother me," Grover said. "It's the smell. Monsters. Can't you smell it?"
Tyson nodded. "Lots of monsters. But underground smells like that. Monsters and dead milk people."
"Oh, good," Grover whimpered. "I thought maybe I was wrong."
"We have to get deeper into the maze," Annabeth said. "There has to be a way to the center."
She led them to the right, then the left, through a corridor of stainless steel like some kind of air shaft, and they arrived back in the Roman tile room with the fountain.
This time, they weren't alone.
➳
Stood in the middle of the room was a man, though he wasn't a normal man, he had to faces jutting out over each of his shoulders.
He was dressed like a New York City doorman; a long black overcoat, shiny shoes and a black top hat, that somehow managed to stay on his two heads.
"Well, Annabeth?" Said his left face. "Hurry up!"
"Don't mind him." The right side said. "He's terribly rude, right this way, miss."
Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Uh... I don't..."
"That funny man has two faces." Tyson frowned.
"The funny man has ears you know!" The left face scolded, "Now come along, miss."
"No, no," the right face said. "This way, miss. Talk to me, please."
Lilia's jaw sat ajar as she looked between the two faces, trying their best to regard Annabeth through the corners of their eyes. It was impossible to look at one of them straight on. That's what he wanted, Annabeth to pick one.
Behind him were two exits, blocked by wooden doors with huge iron locks. They hadn't been there their first time through the room. The two-faced doorman held a silver key, which he kept passing from his left hand to his right hand.
The doorway they'd come through had disappeared, replaced by more mosaics. They wouldn't be going back the way they came.
"The exits are closed," Annabeth said.
"Duh!" the man's left face said.
"Where do they lead?" she asked.
"One probably leads the way you wish to go," the right face said encouragingly. "The other leads to certain death."
"I know who you are," Annabeth said.
"Oh, you're a smart one!" The left face sneered. "But do you know which way to choose? I don't have all day?"
"Why are you trying to confuse me?" Annabeth asked.
The right face smiled. "You're in charge now, my dear. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"
"I—"
"We know you, Annabeth," the left face said. "We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later. And the choice may kill you."
This definitely wasn't just about doors.
The color drained out of Annabeth's face. "No...I don't—"
"Leave her alone," Percy said. "Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm your best friend," the right face said.
"I'm your worst enemy," the left face said.
"I'm Janus," both faces said in harmony. "God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices."
"I'll see you soon enough, Perseus Jackson," said the right face. "But for now it's Annabeth's turn." He laughed giddily. "Such fun!"
"Shut up!" his left face said. "This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your whole life. It can kill you and all of your friends. But no pressure, Annabeth. Choose!"
With a sudden chill, Lilia remembered the words of the prophecy: the child of Athena's final stand.
"Don't do it," she said.
"I'm afraid she has to," the right face said cheerfully.
Annabeth moistened her lips. "I-I chose—"
Before she could point to a door, a brilliant light flooded the room.
Janus raised his hands to either side of his head to cover his eyes. When the light died, a woman was standing at the fountain.
She was tall and graceful with long hair the color of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colors like oil on water.
"Janus," she said, "are we causing trouble again?"
"N-no, milady!" Janus's right face stammered.
"Yes!" the left face said.
"Shut up!" the right face said.
"Excuse me?" the woman asked.
"Not you, milady! I was talking to myself."
"I see," the lady said. "You know very well your visit is premature. The girl's time has not yet come. So I give you a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn you into a door and break you down."
"What kind of door?" the left face asked.
"Shut up!" the right face said.
"Because French doors are nice," the left face mused. "Lots of natural light."
"Shut up!" the right face wailed. "Not you, milady! Of course I'll leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Doing my job. Offering choices."
"Causing indecision," the woman corrected. "Now be gone!"
The left face muttered, "Party pooper," then he raised his silver key, inserted it into the air, and disappeared.
The woman turned toward them, fear closed around Lilia's heart. Her eyes shined with power. Leave these heroes to me. That didn't sound good. But then the woman smiled.
"You must be hungry," she said. "Sit with me and talk." She waved her hand, and the old Roman fountain began to flow. Jets of clear water sprayed into the air. A marble table appeared, laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade.
"Who... who are you?" Percy asked.
"I am Hera." The woman smiled. "Queen of Heaven."
➳
Lilia stared in awe at the Goddess, she'd seen her before in full godly form and quite frankly had been scared of her, but right now at normal height she looked like an average mom.
She served them sandwiches and poured lemonade.
"Grover dear, use your napkin, don't eat it." She said.
"Yes ma'am." Grover said.
"Tyson, you're wasting away. Would you like another peanut butter sandwich?"
Tyson stifled a belch. "Yes, nice lady."
"Queen Hera," Annabeth said. "I can't believe it. What are you doing in the labyrinth?"
Hera smiled. "I came to see you, naturally."
Lilia and Grover exchanged worried looks, usually when Gods come looking for you, it isn't out of kindness. It's because they want something.
"I didn't think—" Annabeth said. "Well I didn't think you liked heroes."
Hera smiled indulgently. "Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement."
"Didn't you try to kill him, like, a lot of times?" Annabeth asked.
Hera waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband's children by another woman.
My patience wore thin, I'll admit it. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counseling sessions since then. We've aired our feelings and come to an understanding especially after that last little incident."
"You mean when he sired Thalia?" I guessed, but immediately wished I hadn't. As soon as I said the name of our friend, the half-blood daughter of Zeus, Hera's eyes turned toward me frostily.
"Percy Jackson, isn't it? One of Poseidon's... children. As I recall, I voted to let you live at the winter solstice. I hope I voted correctly."
She turned back to Annabeth with a sunny smile.
"At any rate, I certainly bear you no ill will, my girl. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest.
Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with."
Annabeth lowered her gaze. "Why was he here? He was driving me crazy."
"Trying to," Hera agreed. "You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by the small parts they play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father."
"Your father?" Percy said.
Lilia who had been rather quiet during the exchange kicked Percy and mouthed Kronos at him.
He hissed before going red. "Oh, right." He muttered.
"We must watch the minor gods," Hera said. "Janus. Hecate. Morpheus. They give lip service to Olympus, and yet—"
"That's where Dionysus went," it suddenly clicked in her head.. "He was checking on the minor gods."
"Indeed." Hera stared at the fading mosaics of the Olympians. "You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish. But I'm the goddess of marriage, you see. I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos, and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind."
"What are your goals?" Annabeth asked.
She smiled. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together, of course. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish."
"A wish?"
"Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you see Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus's heart.
There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus."
"But how do we get there?" Annabeth asked. "That's my wish. I want a way to navigate the Labyrinth."
Hera looked disappointed. "So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given."
"I don't understand."
"The means is already within your grasp." She looked at Percy. "Percy knows the answer."
"I do?" He looked a bit shocked.
"But that's not fair," Annabeth said. "You're not telling me what it is!" Hera shook her head.
"Getting something and having the wits to use it...those are two different things. I'm sure your mother Athena would agree."
The room rumbled like distant thunder. Hera stood. "That would be my cue. Zeus grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem."
She pointed toward the two doors and they melted away, revealing twin corridors, open and dark.
"One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice, I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you will have to make a decision. Farewell!"
She waved a hand and turned into white smoke. So did the food, just as Tyson chomped down on a sandwich that turned to mist in his mouth. The fountain trickled to a stop. The mosaic walls dimmed and turned grungy and faded again. The room was no longer any place you'd want to have a picnic.
Annabeth stamped her foot. "What sort of help was that? 'Here, have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops, I can't help you!' Poof!"
"Poof," Tyson agreed sadly, looking at his empty plate.
"Well," Grover sighed, "she said Percy knows the answer. That's something."
They all turned to look at him but he stared back with a blank look.
"But I don't," he said. "I don't know what she's talking about."
"Alright." Annabeth sighed. "Then let's keep going."
"But which way?" Lilia asked looking between the seemingly identical tunnels of never ending darkness.
As she asked, Tyson and Grover both tensed, they stood up at the same time as though they'd rehearsed it. "Left." They both whispered nervously.
"How can you be sure?" Percy asked.
"Because something is coming from the right." Grover said.
"Something big." Tyson agreed. "In a hurry."
"Okay yeah, left sounds good." Lilia said hurriedly walking toward the left tunnel.
Together they plunged into the unknown, hoping whatever it was wouldn't follow them.
➳
AN-
Hey all! Sorry for the slow posts recently, hope everyone's enjoying the story and I'll try to post as soon as possible, I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter now, should be done in the next few days!
Have a good week xx