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I 014. I
𝑾𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔
❝ sharp and pointed ❞
BY THE TIME THEY GOT TO THE STREET, IT WAS TOO LATE.
Campers and Hunters lay on wounded on the ground. Clarisse must've lost a fight with a Hyperborean giant, because she and her chariot were frozen in a block of ice. The centaurs were nowhere to be seen. Either they'd panicked and ran if they'd been disintegrated.
The Titan army ringed the building, standing maybe twenty feet from the doors. Kronos's vanguard was in the lead: Ethan Nakamura, the dracaena queen in her green armor, and two Huperboreans. Ariadne didn't see Prometheus. The slimy weasel was probably hiding back at their headquarters. But Kronos himself stood right in front with his scythe in hand.
The only thing standing in his way was...
"Chiron," Annabeth said, her voice trembling.
Ariadne's eyes were wide with horror.
If Chiron heard them, he didn't answer. He had an arrow notched, aimed straight at Kronos's face. As soon as Kronos saw Ariadne and Percy, his gold eyes flared. Every muscle in their bodies forces. Then the Titan lord turned his attention back to Chiron. "Step aside, little son."
Hearing Luke call Chiron his son was weird enough, but Kronos put contempt in his voice, like son was the worst word he could think of.
"I'm afraid not." Chiron's tone was steely calm, the way he gets when he's really angry.
Ariadne tried to move, but her feet felt like lead. Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, and Percy were straining too, like they were just as stuck.
"Chiron!" Ariadne said. "Look out!"
The dracaena queen became impatient and charged. Chiron's arrow flew straight between her eyes and she vaporized on the spot, her empty armor clattering to the asphalt.
Huron reached for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. He dropped the bow and drew his sword. She knew he hated fighting with a sword. It was never his favorite weapon.
Kronos chuckled. He advanced a step, and Chiron's horse half skittered nervously. His tail flicked back and forth.
"You're a teacher," Kronos sneered. "Not a hero."
"Luke was a hero," Chiron said. "He was a good one, until you corrupted him."
"FOOL!" Kronos's voice shook the city. "You filled his head with empty promises. You said the gods cared about me!"
"Me," Chiron noticed. "You said me."
Kronos looked confused, and in that moment, Chiron struck. It was a good maneuver—a feint followed by a strike to the face. Ariadne saw how strong it was, but Kronos was quick. He had all of Luke's fighting skill, which was a lot. He knocked aside Chiron's blade and yelled, "BACK!"
