𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 • 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯

Eurytion, Geryon & The Two-Headed Dog

Y/n's Pov:

We finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around us, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilt down into the pit, and even when I shined a light, I couldn't see the bottom.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."

"Don't talk that way," I told him. "You can come back to camp with us. We can use your help to prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."

"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."

Briares's expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."

The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye.

"What exactly do you mean, they faded?" Percy asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."

"Percy," Grover said weakly, "even immortality has limits. Sometimes...sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal."

Looking at Grover's face, I wondered if he was thinking of Pan. I remembered something Medusa had told us once: how her sisters, the other two gorgons, had passed on and left her alone. Then last year Michael said something about the old god Helios disappearing and leaving Apollo with the duties of the sun god. I'd never thought about it too much, but now, looking at Briares, I realized how terrible it would be to be so old—thousands and thousands of years old—and totally alone.

"I must go," Briares said.

"Kronos's army will invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help."

Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."

"You are strong."

"Not anymore." Briares rose.

"Hey," Percy grabbed one of his arms and pulled Briares aside, where the roar of the water would hide their words. 

Percy spoke fast, to which I couldn't read his lips. It seemed as if he was explaining something to Briares. Briares just shook his head. He made one hundred finger guns and Percy looked at him in disbelief. His pure brown eyes regarded Percy as he told him something. Briares's face then morphed into an expression I recognized—shame. Then he turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows.

Tyson sobbed.

"It's okay," Grover hesitantly patted his shoulder, which must've taken all his courage.

Tyson sneezed. "It's not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."

I wanted to make him feel better, but I wasn't sure what to say, the pit was making me nervous.

I stood and shouldered my backpack. "Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let's find a better place to camp for the night." 

~

We settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could've been part of a Greektomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls. It had to be an older part of the maze, this was a good sign.

"We must be close to Daedalus's workshop," I said. "Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going in the morning."

"How do we know when it's morning?" Grayson asked.