𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | 𝐩. 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

Earth shakers and heart breakers

The arena was pretty spacious considering it was underground. The dirt floor was circular and in the center of the arena, a fight was going on between a giant and a centaur. The centaur looked panicked: He was galloping around his opponent, using a sword and shield. The giant was swinging a javelin the size of a telephone pole. The crowd was cheering the fight on.

The first-tier seats were twelve feet above the arena floor. Plain stone benches wrapped all the way around, and every seat was full. There were giants, dracaena, demigods, telkhines, and other things.

Skulls ringed the edge of the railings. Three-foot-high piles of them decorated the steps between the benches. They grinned from pikes at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like chandeliers. It reminded Evangeline of the Underworld if it was more filthier.

In the middle, proudly displayed on the side of the spectator's wall, was something that reminded the brunette of fish Jesus—a green banner with the trident of Poseidon in the center. Above the banner, sitting in a seat of honor, was the cult leader.

"Luke," She heard Annabeth mumble under her breath.

Luke smiled coldly among the crowd. He was wearing camouflage combat trousers, a white T-shirt, and a bronze breastplate. However, unlike what would've been sensible as a demigod, he wasn't wearing his sword. But the monsters that were surrounding him were his allies.

Next to Luke sat the largest giant she had ever seen, the giant was much larger than the one on the floor fighting the centaur. The giant must have been fifteen feet tall and so wide he took up three seats. He wore only a loincloth, and his skin was dark and red and tattooed with blue wave designs.

It didn't take Evangeline long to figure out who he was, the banner for Poseidon gave it away. Antaeus a giant of Libya, son of Poseidon and Gaea.

There was a cry from the arena floor, and Percy had to jump back as the centaur crashed to the ground beside him.

The centaur looked at Percy pleadingly. "Help!" He begged.

The raven-haired boy reached for his sword, but his hand faltered in his right pocket. He glanced back, his eyes wide with shock. Riptide hadn't appeared back in his pocket yet.

The centaur struggled to get up as the giant approached, his javelin ready.

A taloned hand gripped Percy's shoulder. "If you value your friendsss' livesss," his dracaene guard said, "You won't interfere. This isssn't your fight. Wait your turn."

The centaur couldn't get up. One of his legs was broken. The giant put his huge foot on the horseman's chest and raised his javelin. He looked up at Luke. The crowd cheered and chanted, "Death! Death!"

The blond didn't do anything, but the tattooed Antaeus sitting next to him rose. The giant smiled down at the centaur, who was whimpering, "Please! No!"

Then Antaeus held his hand out and gave a 'thumbs down' sign. Evangeline tensed as the gladiator giant thrust his javelin downward. Rachel gasped loudly, seemingly unable to look away. Kelli let out a chilling laugh. The centaur was gone, disintegrated to ashes. All that was left was a single hoof, which the giant took up as a trophy and showed to the crowd. They roared their approval.

A gate opened at the opposite end of the stadium and the giant marched out triumphantly.

In the stands, Antaeus raised his hands for silence. "Good entertainment!" he bellowed. "But nothing I haven't seen before. What else do you have, Luke, son of Hermes."

Luke's jaw tightened. Instead of lashing out, he rose calmly to his feet. His eyes glittered, he looked to be in a good mood.

"Lord Antaeus," he said, loud enough for the crowd to hear, "You have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory."