tHE gIRL wITH tHE iRON fISTS

cHAPTER 22

Hunter

Damion forgot to mention Ivy.

She's fine, I swear. She was just really quiet when that whole thing was happening. Anyway, we walked into the gates and were met with a square full of people. I smelled spices and heard things frying, kids playing, everything. We walked for a bit, taking in the colorful buildings. The farther we walked, the more modern it got. Soon we saw skyscrapers, and all the same, people, laughing, talking. We soon got to a part where it wasn't as populated. We were on the outskirts of the place we were at. B began walking more surefootedly as if she knew the place.

"I lived here. My hut was there." B said at some point, pointing at a barren piece of land with a single tree. "Our house was burnt to the ground, my mother said." We continued walking. It was then when we reached a small village, and at the end of the road lay the snake temple.

"The snake temple is over there." I heard someone say, and looked to see who it was. "That's where Filkhorn will be." Nobody had moved their mouths and were as confused as I was. I looked at the square and saw someone with blonde hair, another with raven black hair, one with brown, curly hair, and a girl with spiky black hair. I nudged my elbow at Mariah and looked toward them. Her eyes widened and she pulled us aside.

"That's Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Thalia." Mariah hissed. "We have to go another way. Grover will spot us out for sure, and Annabeth will not be fooled by any disguise."

"Follow me." Is all B says, and we look at each other. Damion gives an exasperated look, and shrugs.

"I haven't been having any magical dreams from anyone, and I sadly trust B enough to know that she knows what she's doing. And I'd rather not be in this heat for much longer. This will do horrors to my hair." He follows her, and I try my best not to smirk.

We do end up making it to the temple without being caught by the quartet. We walk into the snake room, and almost immediately I see a small door that probably leads to Filkhorn. I take a close look at it and see a faint chisel of Greek on the green stone. "B, is this it?" I call to her. She walked across and looks at the door. She touches the center, and I hear a rumble. The inscription lights up and I swing the door open. Mariah and Damion come and we go through a dimly lit passage. I still don't know how nobody saw us. After a very scary set of windy stairs, we come to a huge door. Green poison is seeping through the crack underneath, and I'm ready to go home.

"You don't have to do this." I hear B say. I look at her, and the rest of us do too. Ivy furrows her eyebrows.

"Um, yes we do. Your camp director is going to die." Ivy says very matter-of-factly.

"I mean you don't have to come in here with me. When my mom doesn't teach me, I get really bad dreams. We all aren't going to make it, and I don't want to risk your lives."  We all go silent. 

"I'm never leaving," I say quietly. "Whether we go down, or one of us falls, I would go to Tartarus with you. Not to be cheesy, but it's all for one and one for all. I'm going with you."

"Me too. I'm never leaving your side." Mariah says, and I know she means it.

"I guess I wouldn't leave you either." Damion rolls his eyes.

"Ok," B says in a small voice. "Thank you for coming with me." I nod.

B pushes the doors open.

***

Ivy

Did I get the best part?

<Inaudible noises in the background>