¹On This Spring Day, percy jackson & the olympians

006.

ON THIS SPRING DAY
━━━━━ chapter six

━━━━━ VIOLET WAS GLAD when they stopped running. She had a rock in her shoe that was more painful than a stab wound.

               The room they had stopped in was a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around them on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, and even when Percy tried to shine a light down it, Violet 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," Annabeth chided him. "You can come back to Camp with us. You can help us 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 still 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 around them. 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," Violet said softly, frowning as she watched Briares's grieving face. "Even immortality has its limits. Sometimes ... sometimes even monsters become forgotten and lose their will to stay immortal."

               "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.

               Annabeth nudged Violet. "Make sure Percy doesn't say anything too harsh."

               "Me?" Violet pointed to herself.

               The blonde nodded. "Maybe you have a bit of charmspeak."

               "I'd think we'd know if I could charmspeak," Violet pointed out.

               Annabeth grinned, like she knew something Violet didn't. "Well, you don't need charmspeak to get Percy to listen to you. Go on."

               She narrowed her eyes, but Annabeth raised her eyebrows in return.

               And so, Violet slunk over to Percy and Briares right as the son of Poseidon was snapping, "Briares, we need you. In case you haven't noticed, Tyson believes in you. He risked his life for you." He frowned, growing more frustrated as Briares only shook his head. "My baby brother risked his life for you, and this—"

               "Percy," Violet said calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

               The boy jumped, before relaxing when he realized who it was. "Oh—Vi."