Kardia Sanctuary

Chapter 34: Ultimatum

          ''It's about time you got here,'' Clarisse says. ''Waiting for the freaks for a week is so boring. I want to fight.'' 

          Annabeth walked next to the Ares girl. That's when Harmony lost it. She thrust her hands up, shooting large vines out of the ground. She threw her hands at them, sending the vines their way. The demigod girls were hurdled into the nearest wall, which was the Big House wall.

           ''You give him back before things get ugly,'' Harmony threatened. ''Though judging by the Ares cabin, things already have.''

          ''Hey,'' Clarisse protested.

          The other cabins and campers all raced toward them. Lyon waved his hands around them. Ice barriers formed, forcing the campers back. 

           ''Make one move and i'll add you all to my garden of ice statues,'' he threatened.

          ''You have a garden of statues,'' Nico whispered to him.

           ''Do I look like Medusa, to you,'' Lyon whispered back. ''I'm bluffing.''

          Chiron trotted towards them, stopping just short of the ice.

          ''Chiron, you were once out mentor, how could you do this to us,'' Percy asked. ''Kidnapping White has taken this too far.''

           ''I did not approve of these tactics,'' the centaur responded. ''Release them and we can talk.''

           ''You've got to be kidding,'' Harmony says. ''I will not.''

          ''The time for talking is over,'' Marina said. ''You threaten our home. You threaten our friend. We will not stand for it.''

         ''Kill me and you'll never see him again,'' Annabeth says.

         Harmony forced the vines to push them harder. The force made cracks spider on the Big House wall. They have never seen the daughter of Demeter so angry.

         ''How about you just give him back to us so I will spare your life,'' Harmony growled. ''It's not nice to anger mother nature.''

      But a blast of lightning came out of nowhere. The group was scattered by the bolt. Harmony's vines lost their grip, freeing Annabeth and Clarisse. Mark walked next to his girlfriend. He had on a cocky smile.

        ''Great, another child of Zeus,'' Hawk says. ''Note the sarcasm.''

        ''Enough of this foolishness,'' Mark said. ''Brainy, how about you just give them the offer.''

         ''Brainy,'' Percy thought. ''Wise Girl was a better nickname.''

        Annabeth approached them. Angel aimed an arrow at her.

       ''Come one step closer, I dare you,'' she threatened.

        ''We can handle this like civilized demigods,'' Annabeth says. ''Here's the deal. You can have your precious sonic screamer back, if you give us the four keys you got in the rhelms of the elements.''

         The Kardia's gasped. She was making them choose between their best friend and the crystal heart. 

         ''You can't be serious,'' Jason protested. ''The keys keep the crystal heart safe. We won't let you harm the sanctuary.''

           ''Then you will never get your freak back,'' Clarisse said.

            ''THAT'S  IT,'' Marina screamed. ''YOU WANTED US, AND WE WILL MAKE YOU REGRET EVERYTHING.''

            The strongest of them all let loose their power. Marina and Percy both rose their hands toward the lake. The water erupted up, flooding around them. Two rings of water swirled around them. Lyon moved the ice from his barriers into the water, making it more powerful and more dangerous.

          ''This is the power of the sanctuary,'' Hawk yelled. ''Face the consequences of targeting our home. Jason.''

          ''I've been waiting for you to say that,'' Jason said.

          The boys faced their hands to the clouds. The storm got worse. Rain poured into the camp. The thunder got louder and the lightning stronger. There was great anger in their powers. Their anger for their friends, their home.

           ''All of you, hold it,'' voices boomed around the camp.

          There were giant flashes of light. All of their powers stopped at once. The water and ice splattered onto the ground. The storm clouds rolled away, clearing the sky. The entire camp, and the Kardias were all shocked.

          It was the gods. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Hestia, Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, and even Aeolus. They all had looks of concern.

         ''We will not stand for this,'' Zeus said. ''You are all demigods. And demigods should not fight like this.''

         ''You think that we want to do this,'' Kyra says. ''They took our friend and only want the keys to our homes destruction in exchange.''

          ''You can't let them do this to us,'' Lyon tells them. ''We never did anything to them. We have power they don't have, and they fear us. But that is no reason to hurt us when we never did anything.''

          ''Hestia, please,'' Hazel pleaded. ''White needs you. They took him. Can't you do anything to help him.''

          ''They did what,'' Hestia gasped. ''They. Did. WHAT!''

          The camp's hearth exploded, but it soon returned to normal. Hestia looked like she was about to kill the entire camp. But Hades had his hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

           ''Lady Hestia, he deserves this fate,'' Annabeth insulted.

          Hazel jumped toward her, about to killer her. Nico held her back.

          ''Let me kill her,'' Hazel yelled. ''Let me kill...''

           She stopped when she saw Nico's face. He had tears streaming down his face. She saw the same pain she was experiencing. White was his brother to, so of course he would feel the same. But Nico has never looked like this with anyone else. But with White, he was family. And no one messes with family.

          ''Bring him to us, now,'' Hades ordered.

          ''With all due respect, Lord Hades, we can not,'' Chiron said. ''He is the only leverage we have to stop an assault by these other demigods.''

          ''We don't want to attack,'' Frank yelled. ''Get that through your think skulls.''

          ''Can't you just flash him here,'' Percy asked. ''Dad, please.''

           Poseidon gave his son a nod. He slammed his trident on the ground. A bubble appeared in front of him. When the bubble popped, White fell out and collapsed onto the ground. 

          ''White,'' Hazel cried, running to him.

          ''Ha...zel,'' White stuttered.

          She saw the whip marks on his back. He was still bleeding.

          ''My dear son,'' Hestia said, bending next to him.

          They turned him around and gasped when they saw his chest. The words ''freak'' and ''monster'' were carved into his chest. The golden blood spilled onto the ground.

          ''What did they do to him,'' Harmony sobbed.

         Hazel stood up, facing the campers, Chiron, Clarisse, and Annabeth. Her face was scarier then when they faced Gaea and her giants.

         ''You messed with the wrong girl,'' she death glared.