──── chapter eleven

{ 🔮 }  · magic is near . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪

"WHERE YOU GUYS want to land?" Hank asked, waking Endora up from a nap. She looked down. The girl'd seen San Francisco in pictures before, but never in real life. It was probably one of the most beautiful cities she'd ever seen ( New Orleans will always be her first choice no matter what ). There was a huge bay and ships, islands and sailboats, and the Golden Gate Bridge sticking up out of the fog. 

"There," Zoë suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons." 

Everyone looked at him.

"Kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

As it turned out, there wasn't much need to blend in. It was early morning and not many people were around. The group freaked out a homeless guy on the ferry dock when they landed. He screamed when he saw Hank and Chuck and ran off yelling something about metal angels from Mars. 

They said our good-byes to the angels, who flew off to party with their statue friends. That's when Endora realized something. They had no idea what they were going to do next.

The group'd made it to the West Coast. Artemis was here somewhere. Annabeth too .But she had no idea how to find them, and tomorrow was the winter solstice. Nor did she have any clue what monster Artemis had been hunting. It was supposed to find them on the quest. It was supposed to "show the trail" but it never had. Now, they were stuck on the ferry dock with not much money, no friends, and no luck.

Up. A voice said in her mind. Up, young witch. Can't you feel the energy pulling you closer. Endora shook her head. No. She was not letting her get to her right now. Clear, happy thoughts. But it was hard to concentrate on it when dark, dangerous magic was felt in the air. It was too easy to sense and it was pulling her towards it. Blood in her body went from icy cold to burning hot and all over again and again. She didn't want to go up there. But she knew it's where they would find the goddess.

For the first time in her life after the disappearance of her father, Endora felt scared. She didn't know what was up there and she didn't know if she could stay focused to keep the Hollow away from her mind. She was scared of it gaining control and she was scared of hurting her friends. She's not strong like everyone speaks. She known almost nothing of the magical world, but she's best within her siblings. Their mother doesn't help them. They've learned everything by themselves, but it's nothing compared to what there really is.

"Dora," she heard Percy calling her name. She tore her gaze from the mountain and looked at him. The boy was looking at her, like the rest, with concern written over their faces and wide eyes to match. Grover slowly backed away.

"What?" she asked.

Percy moved closer to her. Her body gave in when he touched the veins on her neck.

"You veins," he said in a low voice, "They're black."

What? Endora touched the vein on her neck, feeling it pulsing underneath her fingertips. Magic flowed though them; dark, ominous magic that belonged to the resentful witch millenniums ago. She summoned a mirror from her bag and took a look. Her eyes widened slightly and her unoccupied hand went slowly towards her neck. Her veins were not the normal bluish-green, they were black, spreading from her neck down to her hands.

"What's happening?" Thalia asked.

Endora sucked in a breath. She shook her head, "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Not worry?" Percy asked, "You're veins are black. I think we have every right to be worried."

"It will go away," Endora said, closing her mirror and putting it back in her bag, "Didn't Apollo say something to you? Find Nereus?"

"Don't change subject, Dora." Percy said.

"We need to hurry," Endora ignored him, "Nereus is the old man of the sea, right? What do you need from him"

Percy kissed his teeth, "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows." he side-eyed Endora, "But how do I find him?"

Zoë made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"What do you mean?" Endora asked.

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee." 

They stopped at the Goodwill drop box and Endora couldn't stop laughing after what she saw. Five minutes later, Zoë had Percy outfitted in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Oh, yeah," Grover said, trying not to bust out laughing, "you look completely inconspicuous now."

Zoë nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

"Thanks a lot," Percy grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in."

She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoë finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoë said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell. . . different."

"Great. And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of Percy's shirt ─ a big clump of fuzz that came from who-knows-where. "Eww. On second thought. . . I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

"We've got your back," Endora said standing further away from the boy. Her mind and body feeling better as they moved away from the mountain, "From over here. Far away."

Grover gave Percy a big thumbs-up. The boy grumbled how nice it was to have super-powerful friends. Then Percy headed toward the dock. Endora kept an eye on him, until she couldn't find him. At least the others were there if something went wrong.

And that's when Thalia grabbed her hand and woke her from her thoughts. She looked down towards docks and saw that Percy was standing tall over the homeless guy who was gasping for air. He did it.

They ran down the steps from the pier.

"You got him!" Zoë said.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," Percy said.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

Endora rolled her eyes, "That's dumb rule."

Percy sighed. "All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth. "Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there." Nereus pointed to the water at Percy's feet.

"Where?"

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"You tricked me!" Percy yelled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?"

"MOOOOOOOO!"

Endora looked down, and her eyes widened as she saw the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. The creature nudged Percy's shoe and gave him the sad brown eyes.

"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."

"Mooo!"

Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"You can understand her. . . er, him?"

Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus." 

"The Ophi ─ what?"

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close." 

"Wait," Zoë said, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?" 

Percy looked impatient, but he told them the story. Endora had her eyebrows raised and Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well. . . yeah." 

"I am a fool," Zoë said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?"

"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My. . . my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" Percy looked down at the bull serpent. "But. . . he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoë said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

Percy patted Bessie on the head, trying to calm him down. He let the boy scratch his ear, but he was trembling. "How could anyone hurt him? He's harmless."

Zoë nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

Destroy the gods. Well didn't that sound familiar.

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods. . . how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoë said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head. Bessie shivered. Thalia's expression bothered Endora. She almost looked. . . hungry.

"We have to protect him," Percy said, "If Luke gets hold of him ─ "

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's. . . that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged. Endora looked behind her. They'd been so busy talking, they'd allowed themselves to be ambushed. Standing behind them, his two-color eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself. 

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically he didn't look much better than the guys down at the soup kitchen.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

"Fat chance, fucker." Endora growled, her hands covered in black mist.

The manticore smirked, "Cursed child of Hecate. We meet again. It's wonder that dark magic didn't consume you already. But don't worry, it will soon."

Endora clenched her fists.

On either side of him stood two armed security guys; two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case they tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around ─ walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above them ─ but Endora knew that wouldn't stop the manticore from acting.

"Where. . . where are the skeletons?" Percy asked the manticore.

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!" 

"We beat you once before," Percy said.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas. . . that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of them raised their guns.

"Wait! Zoë, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoë Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory." 

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. It made terrible sense. Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said. Everyone waited for Thalia to tell the manticore off, but she hesitated. She looked completely stunned. 

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," Percy said, "snap out of it!"

She looked at the boy the same way she had the morning she woke up on Half-Blood Hill, dazed and uncertain. It was almost like she didn't know him.

"I. . . I don't ─ "

"Your father helped you," Endora said. "He sent the metal angels. He turned you into a tree to preserve you."

Thalia's hand tightened on the shaft of her spear. 

Grover raised his pipes to his mouth and played a quick riff. The manticore yelled, "Stop him!" 

The guards had been targeting Zoë, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoë let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows! The guards started coughing. The manticore shot spines in their direction, but they ricocheted off Endora's lion's coat.

"Grover," Percy said, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooooo!" Grover translated.

 "The cow. . ." Thalia muttered, still in a daze.

"Come on!" Endora pulled her along as they ran up the stairs to the shopping center on the pier. 

The group dashed around the corner of the nearest store. Endora heard the manticore shouting at his minions, "Get them!"

Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air. They scrambled to the end of the pier. They hid behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals ─ wind chimes and dream catchers and stuff like that, glittering in the sunlight. Endora looked them and frowned. Fakes. Why do all of them have to be fakes.

There was a water fountain next to them. Down below, a bunch of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before them: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture-perfect moment, except for the fact that we were about to die and the world was going to end. 

"Go over the side!" Zoë told Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus." 

"I won't leave you guys," the boy said. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!" 

Endora looked over at Percy, "You have that face."

He looked at her, "What face?"

"The one that says 'I have dumb but genius idea'."

"I do?"

Endora hummed.

"Guys, we need to hurry!" Grover said.

"Right," Percy uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over them. Thalia gasped as the water hit her. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes.

"Are you crazy?" she asked. 

But Grover understood. He was already fishing around in his pockets for a coin. He threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!" the mist rippled. "Camp Half-Blood!" Percy said.

And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to them, was the last person Endora thought they'd see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator. He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron!" Percy shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello, we're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

Mr. D considered that. Behind them, footsteps and shouting ─ the manticore's troops were closing in.

"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

Percy looked at them "We're dead."

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?" 

Percy told him about the Ophiotaurus.

"Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"You don't even care! You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight." 

The manticore screamed, "There!"

And they were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any real help. Wonderful." 

"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured to Percy, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could say please."

Zoë readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield. Endora let the black sparks appear in her hands, trusting them forward and creating a shield of magic around them. It would buy them some time if they were to die. When she looked at Thalia, the girl noticed a tear running down Thalia's cheek. Suddenly it occurred to Endora: this had happened to her before. She had been cornered on Half-Blood Hill. She'd willingly given her life for her friends. But this time, she couldn't save them. 

"Please, Mr. D," Percy muttered. "Help."

Nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

The men raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up too quickly? There was a rush like that all around them, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. Endora smelled grapes and something more sour ─ wine.

SNAP!

It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.

"No!" screamed the manticore. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering.

"Well," said Dionysus, closing his refrigerator. "That was fun."

Percy stared at him, horrified. "How could you. . . How did you ─ "

"Such gratitude," he muttered. "The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining todo if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father." he stared resentfully at Thalia. "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.

"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You. . . you saved us."

"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," Percy said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"But where do we go?"

Dionysus looked at Zoë. "Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting."

"Mr. D," Percy said.

He raised his eyebrow.

"You called me by my right name. You called me Percy Jackson." 

"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!" he waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist.

All around them, the manticore's minions were still acting completely nuts. One of them had found their friend the homeless guy, and they were having a serious conversation about metal angels from Mars. Several other guards were harassing the tourists, making animal noises and trying to steal their shoes.

Percy looked at Zoë. "What did he mean. . . 'You know where to go'?"

Her face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home." 

niki speaks!

holy shit, five more chapters
and we're over with this vol/act!!
i'm so excited for endora's journey
though the titan war and get battling
with the spirit of the hollow.

like you can see,
she, even if powerful, doesn't know
much about magic,
but that will change though out the series
( like, in the end, she's gonna
be that bitch )
i love her with my whole heart and
can't wait for her to grow though this series

have a nice day/night!
bye!