The Dragon's Daughter

x. luke

As long as she'd been in Camp, the Athena cabin was one of the places she visited a lot. 

It was a silvery building, with plain white curtains and a carved stone owl over the doorway. 

Most of the room was filled with workbenches and tables and sets of tools and weapons. The back of the room was a huge library crammed with old scrolls and leather-bound books and paperbacks. 

Perhaps that's why she visited the cabin a lot. 

The books. 

There was an architect’s drafting table with a bunch of rulers and protractors, and some 3-D models of buildings. Huge old war maps were plastered to the ceiling. Sets of armor hung under the windows, their bronze plates glinting in the sun. 

All in all, a lovely place to read and study anything academic. 

She and Annabeth stood in the back of the room, rifling through old scrolls. 

"Found anything?" she asked. "Cause I don't." 

Annabeth sighed in frustration. "No -"

"Knock knock?" 

Elora turned, startled. "Hey."

"Hi. Didn't hear you," Annabeth said. 

"You guys okay?" Percy asked

Annabeth frowned at the scroll she's holding. “Just trying to do some research. Daedalus’s  Labyrinth is so huge. None of the stories agree about anything. The maps just lead from nowhere to nowhere.” 

"Really impressive," Elora said.

"Not when we're about to go down in it." 

"We'll figure it out." Elora placed the scroll neatly back to where it came from. 

“I’ve wanted to lead a quest since I was seven,” Annabeth said. 

“You’re going to do awesome.” Elora gave her friend two thumbs up. 

"What she said," Percy said. 

Annabeth looked at them gratefully, but then stared down at all the books and scrolls she’d pulled  from the shelves. “I’m worried. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. Or Tyson or Grover. Or you, E.” 

“Hey, we’re your friends."

Elora nodded. "We wouldn’t miss it. As dangerous as it is -- suicidal would be a better word -- we're your friends and we're not letting you go down there alone."

“But…” Annabeth stopped herself. 

 “What is it?” Percy asked. “The prophecy?” 

 “I’m sure it’s fine,” she said in a small voice.

 “What was the last line?” 

Annabeth blinked back tears and put out her arms. 

Percy stepped forward and hugged her. 

Elora's jaw dropped open. She held back a squeal, not letting any sound to disturb the atmosphere between the two. She really felt like she shouldn't be there but alas, they blocked the door. Wonderful. A front row seat to the couple. 

“Hey, it’s…it’s okay.” Percy patted her back. 

The shadows!

With one last thumb up to Percy, she disappeared from the room. 

☼︎☼︎❁☼︎☼︎

"So. You and Percy?" 

"What?"