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chapter twenty-three.
( the battle of the labyrinth )
❝ taurus comes for a visit!❞
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Cain and I followed the light through multiple twists and turns. The wooden floors at our feet disappeared into mosaics━chipped, broken, dirty, but I could tell they used to be beautiful. Or maybe they hadn't. Maybe that was the point. Either way, we entered an old part of the maze. The walls were brick━or not, I don't know. Annabeth knows this stuff, but all I know is that they're the same material they used in the temples.
Cain narrowed his eyes at the light that hovered in front of us. He dragged his fingers along the side of the corridor. He looked very tired━he always did, but I realised that while I slept and told us to move straight away, he hadn't.
"We'll stop again soon," I told him. "Rest, have something to eat."
"I'm fine," said Cain. "I'll just go on watch again."
"You need to sleep," I frowned at him. "You can't just not sleep, Cain."
He shrugged. "I can't sleep anyway."
"Why not?"
Cain's face darkened. "Everyone's scared of something, Claire."
And with that, he spoke no more. Cain was a troubling person. You think you knew a lot about him after going on quest after quest, but then at the same time, you don't. I only know the surface of who Cain was. He was very closed off━even more closed off than Percy was. And that was saying something. I knew that he never had friends before now, I knew that he liked ice-cream sandwiches and that he hated the idea of growing a moustache; however, I knew nothing about his mother, or about his home life, or why he was at a military school. I didn't know his birthday, what he wanted to do with his life, or what he was scared of. Cain just liked to keep that part of him to himself.
Sometimes, it worried me. Other times, I have to let it go.
We followed the light into a clearing. The narrow hallway opened up wide into a round wide room with ceilings painted with visions of what looked like Hercules' Twelve Labours. There was the Nemean Lion, the Hydra, The Cretan Bull ... in the middle, sat a shrine. In the distance, I could smell sea-salt, and I knew what shrine this was dedicated to.
"That's weird," muttered Cain. "Just a random shrine to Poseidon in the middle of the maze."
"Well, the light led us here," I watched it as it hovered over the dead fire basin. "I don't know what it wants us to do, though."
"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."
"You don't sound too sure..."
I wasn't. I just didn't want to admit that--even after all this time━Luke was gone.
"A lot of people don't understand..." I sighed, rubbing my eye. It was itchy. Cain frowned. "Luke ... he was my hero. He found me in the alleyway and brought Thalia over. He took me under his wing and promised me a family that ... that wouldn't end up the same as my Mom and I ... he promised he would never leave me."
"But he did leave you."
I shook my head. "No, he hasn't! Cain━he's just trying to keep his promise the way he believes he should; creating a better world, that's why━"
Cain sighed, "Claire ..."
I could feel the tears before they fell, and so I looked away. "He's still there. I don't care if being unable to let go is my Fatal Flaw. Luke is still in there. He'll come back. He has to."
"And what if that is what will kill you?"
"Luke would never kill me."
"The Luke you knew would never kill you," Cain corrected. "The Luke you know now--"
"You don't know him like I know him!" I shouted. My voice echoed in the space. "He's a good person! He's ... he's a hero━"
"He wants to destroy Camp!" Cain shouted right back. "He's gone, Claire! Luke is gone and he isn't coming back! You have to realise that!"
"No!" I kicked Poseidon's shrine in frustration. I hated the tears on my face. I tell myself so many times: he's dead, he's gone ... just like Cain is telling me now. I tried to believe that! But I can't. I can't let go!
As soon as I did, the whole room trembled. The anger between us fell away and was replaced with fear. I stepped away from the fire basin, realising that I probably should have never kicked it.
"What was that?" Cain asked, gripping the hilt of his sword.
My fingers flew up to my necklace. "I don't know."
"Is it Poseidon━?"
"I don't know!"
The room shook again, and I slipped off my necklace. I flipped it in the air, and the once golden bow of Sun-Bearer was now a dangerous, sleek black that blended into the shadows around us. Cain and I backed up together, each facing opposite doorways with narrowed eyes. I had no idea where this was coming from.
The floor beneath us felt like it was going to give way. It was then I heard a consistent sound: the sound of multiple footsteps thundering our way━like running. But the footsteps were so quick together, like there were many people, or something on all fours.
"Get ready," I muttered to Cain, and he nodded. He gripped the handle of his longsword. I notched an arrow, my fingers bristling the feather. I could hear where the footsteps were coming from: right in front of Cain. I turned around to stand beside him, already aiming at the entrance.
Seconds later, a large bull thundered into the round room. I pulled back the arrow harder, watching with bated breath at the bull pawing the mosaic ground. I didn't think a bull could ever be beautiful, but this one sure gave me a run for its money. Its coat was clean, sleek and shiny, and the horns on its head strong and magnificent. His eyes gleamed; dark, dangerous. I frowned at it, finding it familiar. It wasn't until Cain raised his sword, ready to fight that I realised.
"Wait! Cain, no, stop!" I whispered. He hesitated.
"What?" Cain sounded annoyed. I wasn't sure whether it was from our previous argument, or that I told him to stop.
"Don't hurt him," I told him again, as the bull continued to paw the ground. He seemed to be searching for something and I hope it wasn't us.
"Why?"
"He's the Cretan Bull," I said.
"You mean, the Cretan Bull?" Cain's crows jumped up high. "Like the Cretan Bull Hercules fought, the Cretan Bull depicted on the ceiling, that Cretan Bull?"
I nodded. "Yep, the father of the Minotaur."
"But what's it doing here?" Cain took a nervous step closer to be. I'm not sure whether it was to step forward with his sword, or for me to make him feel better with my long range weapon.
I was wondering the same question, until the Bull noticed the sacrificial flame, empty of fire, and made its way towards it. The Bull belonged to Poseidon; it was he who had brought the beast to life. Hercules was meant to sacrifice it, but he never did. I frowned, watching it paw the ground by the brazier. I had a bad feeling about this—especially when I had kicked Poseidon's fire pit and then the Cretan Bull just appeared out of nowhere. Its ears twitched, as if just realising we were here. In the back of my head, I sighed: oh, you idiot, Claire Moore.
"Cain?" I whispered to him beside me. "Get ready to split-up."
"Why?"
"I'll go right, you go left."
"Why━?" Cain went to ask again, but then saw the Bull looking directly at us. Its horned head lowered to the ground, and his hooves scraped against the mosaic tiles. It was getting ready to charge. "━oh..."
"Be ready," I muttered, as the bull continued to scrape the ground. "In three ... two ... one!"
At one, the bull charged, and Cain and I separated either side. I wanted to see who he would go after. If it was me, I knew what I could do. Cain would have the advantage and be able to attack it if it was completely ignoring him.
The Cretan Bull skidded to a stop by the doors we entered in. I pushed myself to my feet, watching it reset itself, annoyed. Cain glanced at me from the opposite of the room, worried.
"What do you plan on doing?" he asked me.
I knew I was right when the bull focused on me instead of Cain, and a plan was starting to form into my head. "Cain!" I shouted, rolling away again as the bull sped towards me. "I'm going to distract it, send it near the shrine. Once its at the shrine, you're going to have to kill it!"
"What do you mean, once it's at the shrine?"
I notched an arrow at the bull and fired, just to anger him even more. "The Cretan Bull was always meant to be sacrificed to Poseidon. Every time it comes back, it is to be sacrificed at the Shrine--I didn't expect it to be here in the Labyrinth."
Cain seemed to only just realise something. "You mean the Shrine you kicked?"
"Yeah."
"Are you an idiot?"
"You made me angry!"
I jumped out of the way again. This time, Cain swerved out of the way too. He spun his sword and began to scale the wall, watching the bull with beady eyes. The Cretan Bull did not seem to notice him at all. It focused on me, and me only.
I fired another arrow. It felt different to use this bow. Different, and yet the same. It was the same weight, the same bow with the same strings and the same arrows and same vine sketches, expect it wasn't. It was foreign in my fingers, and yet, it was comforting. The arrow didn't pierce the bull's skin, but definitely irritated it.
Look, Poseidon! I'm sorry I kicked your shrine! Can you forgive me? I'm Percy's best friend! Despite what Cain said, I don't think that made me in Poseidon's good books any day. It was worth a try, however.
I stayed put as the bull began to charge. The sharp, curved horns on top of its burly head were pointed straight at me, so large they scraped the mosaic floor. At the last minute, I jumped out of the way. Cain tried to get a swing at it, but missed. "You bastard!" he shouted at it.
As he did, I scrambled to my feet and ran to the shrine. Coming to a stop beside it, a terrible thought came to my mind. Oh, please forgive me Lord Poseidon. "Hey! Happy Cow! Over here!" and being the idiot I am (really, Percy has rubbed off on me) I kicked the brazier hard again. It hurt my toe, but it got the reaction I wanted.
Happy Cow screamed in rage. He ran towards me, but skidded to a stop not far from the brazier. He wouldn't dare hurt Poseidon's shrine. I shouted out, "Cain! Get ready!"
Cain nodded, and he started to sneak up while I taunted The Cretan Bull, jumping from side to side of the shrine and laughing at him unable to catch up. In the end, he skidded too heavily, and fell back onto his back. He screamed, kicking his legs to try and get back up, but Cain got there before he could and brought his longsword right down into his stomach.
As he did, I shouted: "Lord Poseidon! Take this offering and grant it safe passage back to the sea!" In the back of my head, I prayed: and can you keep Percy safe while you're at it? Thanks.
A breeze blew my hair into my face. It smelt like sea salt. I watched as the Cretan Bull dissipated like water in heat, turning into mist in the air. Watching it die was almost sad━it was the most beautiful Bull I had seen.
When the breeze left, all that was left of the Cretan Bull was its two horns; large and curved. Cain pursed his lips, before crouching down and picking them up. He held them tenderly━even he seemed to be upset about killing the creature.
A thought crossed Cain's mind. I stepped out of the way as he walked towards the shrine. Kneeling down, he placed the two horns at the foot of the brazier. "Return to the sea," he whispered.
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a/n: this is very short I'm sorry. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and it most definitely isn't my best. also i accidently said cain had a shortsword last chapter ooop i meant longsword━