Chapter 19 - The Titan Sisters
published: Wednesday, 3 April 2019

"We're almost there," Jason encouraged as he stopped his trudge up the slope.

Piper let out a groan. "Pregnant...women... should...rest," she panted between breaths.

"Let's take a short break," Leo suggested as he eased Piper down to a sitting position.

She nodded gratefully and slumped against him. "Thank...you."

Jason kneeled down beside her in concern, placing a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up, Pipes. Are you sure you don't want to head back?"

Piper shook her head insistently. "No, no. I'm fine. We need this to continue with the quest."

"How many weeks along are you?" Frank asked warily. Piper's abdomen was much more swollen than before.

Piper shook her head. "I have no idea. It was only 12 weeks before."

"It's 40 weeks before giving birth right," Frank guessed.

Piper nodded. "But that's a full term. 38 weeks is the usual period of labour." She glanced around. "Let's focus on this first. How're we going to find the Idaean Cave? It disappeared centuries ago."

"It's probably just shrouded by the Mist," Jason reasoned.

Frank frowned. "We should've taken Hazel." When they had stopped back for a break, Hazel had insisted on coming with them, but she still remained on guard in the end.

"I can do this," Piper muttered to herself in a supportive mantra. She grabbed Frank's hand and pulled herself up breathlessly.

They continued up the hill between heavy pants and sluggish steps.

"This is the peak," Piper declared despairingly. She stepped onto the summit of the hill. "There aren't any caves here."

Leo scanned the view. He could see the whole city from here, but Piper was right — no caves.

"It's here somewhere," Jason insisted. He backtracked a few steps and regarded the hill's peak again.

Leo followed his gaze.

Jason has a point. There was something strange about the empty air. It was too vacant.

There should've been something there. Leo focused on the emptiness and imagine himself scraping away the layers like paint.

Within seconds, the shroud of Mist peeled away to reveal a stone cave, its entrance open and welcoming.

"There," Leo breathed, pointing to the cave.

One by one, his friends spotted the cave through the Mist.

Jason stepped up to the entrance and drew his sword warily. "This is where Mnemosyne is?"

Piper chewed on her lip. "Gaia said to go to the Idaean Cave."

They proceeded inside with weapons drawn, eyes darting about for any signs of danger.

"It's a door," Jason whispered. Between two stone walls walls, a large metal door with a vault lock bridged the gap.

Leo pushes his way between Frank's and Piper and placed his hand on the lock. The vibrations of the mechanisms seemed to flow through him.

He closed his eyes as the gears inside the lock twisted and clicked to align itself, allowing the door to open with a resounding "shh".

Leo pulled the door open with difficulty and stepped inside. His eyes widened in surprise and astonishment.

Sitting around in a circle were six women, who were all different and yet the same.

One of them had a bright complexion and shimmering blonde hair, and eyes that seemed to radiate happiness. Another had a shawl wrapped around her head, covering most of her dark hair. And a third had fiery red hair and warm brown eyes that reminded Leo of Hestia.

Yet, all six women radiated the same kind of power and elegance that reminded Leo of the gods.

"Welcome, demigods," the woman with the shawl said in a soothing tone. "We are the Titans."

Leo blinked. "The Titans? No offense, but aren't the Titans...guys?"

A fourth sister rolled her eyes. "Of course, only our brothers and their stupidity are remembered." She had curly brown hair and striking grey eyes.

"The Titans you speak of are our brothers," a fifth woman said. She had a tanned complexion, brown eyes, and golden hair. "And our husbands."

Piper frowned. "What?"

"Our brothers are also our husbands," the sister with red hair said. She pulled a face. "Zeus knows what we were thinking when we married those buffoons."

Jason looked like he was about to be sick. "You...you married your brothers?"

"Not all of us," the sister with the head shawl added. "Mnemosyne and I were smarter than that."

The four demigods shot up.

Leo turned to the only sister who hadn't spoken. She had black hair in a long braid that reached her knees, pale skin and blue eyes. "You're Mnemosyne?" he demanded.

She nodded. "And I suppose you are looking for me?"

Leo nodded slowly. "But...what are you doing here? Who are all of you?"

Mnemosyne sighed. "Centuries later and mortal memories still disappoint me. I don't know what Prometheus ever saw in them."

Leo bit back a scowl. So far, all he'd learnt about these Titan sisters was that they seemed to enjoy name-dropping, and that incest didn't seem to be an issue with them.

"I am Theia," the shiny sister explained. "I am the Titan of sight and light."

The woman with the head shawl introduced herself next. "And I am Themis, the Titan of divine law and order."

The sister with curly brown hair and grey eyes smiled at Leo. "I'm Tethys, the Titan of freshwater."

"Phoebe," said the woman with golden hair and a bronze tan. "The Titan of prophecy and Oracles."

"Wait, Oracles?" Piper interrupted. "My friend Rachel is one of the Oracles. But Apollo is her patron god."

Phoebe shrugged. "Apollo is my grandson."

Frank's eyes widened.

Phoebe laughed. "Where did you think he got his gift of prophecy from?"

And last, the red headed sister. "I am Rhea," she said simply. "The Titan of motherhood, and the wife of Kronos."

"Kronos?" Leo choked out.

Rhea smiled. "Yes. But I supported the gods during the war, because Kronos ate most of our children."

Frank stumbled backwards into Jason. "A-ate?"

Rhea waved a dismissive hand. "It's a long story."

"The six of us gather every millennia or so to talk about our brothers, our children, and problems concerning the world," Tethys explained. "Global warming really is a looming issue."

"And plastic straws," Theia added. "It's a good thing that corporations have begun to ban them."

"We meet here," Rhea continued. "The birthplace of my youngest son — Zeus. It is my sacred place."

Jason glanced at her. Technically, Rhea was his grandmother. He didn't have her red hair or brown eyes, but she reminded him of Thalia. Something about the way she talked and the defiance she carried herself with.

"You have looked at me strangely, son of Ares," Tethys said suddenly. She turned to Frank. "What is the matter?"

"Uh-I-" Frank stammered.

"You remind us of a friend," Piper answered for him. "Your eyes...they're exactly like Annabeth's."

Tethys smiled. "Ah, Annabeth Chase. I have heard much about her. The resemblance might be because I am her great-grandmother." A darkened expression swept across her face. "But she is in Tartarus now, with that boy, far beyond my reach. No one can help them now."

"Are they okay?" Leo demanded. "Are they hurt? Have they reached Nyx's palace?"

Tethys glanced at Phoebe. "I cannot say. It will affect the future of your quest."

"That's actually why we're here," Jason interjected. "We're looking for a way to end the war before it even starts. Too many people would die, and Olympus could fall."

"We can't help you," Themis said quietly. "It will interfere with the quest."

"That's the idea!" Piper growled. Leo grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her back. She took a deep breath. "The prophecy the Oracle of Delphi gave us is that Mnemosyne would help us."

Rhea frowned. "What prophecy?"

Piper impatiently recited it for them.

"'The blade to raise with memory'," Leo repeated. "You're supposed to have some sort of blade that helps us raise Ouranos. We need him to defeat Pontus and Tartarus."

The sisters exchanged glances.

"Father?" Theia murmured uncertainly. "You want to raise him?"

"It's our only chance," Jason pleaded.

"Ah, yes, I remember this prophecy," Phoebe suddenly said. "One of my better ones. Very eloquent limerick, abab rhyme scheme. Lots of alliteration; fricatives, plosives..."

Leo zoned out as he was suddenly reminded of literature class.

"Wait," Rhea said suddenly, puzzlement flooding her features. Her gaze flickered between the demigods until it landed on Piper, and her eyes brightened with wonder. "You are with child!" the Titaness breathed.

Piper flushed red. "Uh–"

She was pulled closer to Rhea, who placed a hand on her stomach.

"I can sense him," Rhea whispered with joy.

"Him?" Jason echoed. "It-it's a boy?"

Leo could see Piper's eyes welling up with emotion. He shifted uncomfortably; this wasn't his forte.

"How did you know?" Piper's voice cracked.

"I'm the Titan of motherhood," Rhea reminded her. "You're 34 weeks along, so you should expect frequent nausea, although your morning sickness should have halted by now."

"Is he healthy?" Jason asked.

"Oh, of course," Rhea fussed in a motherly tone.

"There's nothing...wrong with him?" Piper asked cautiously. "I—This is kind of new. See, I was 3 months pregnant until a few hours ago." She explained to the Titans about Kronos' time barrier.

Tethys frowned disapprovingly. "He always was the trickster."

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Rhea assured Piper and Jason. "He should be perfectly healthy — oh, please, once he is born, would you mind bringing him for a visit?"

Jason's happiness started to fade. The reality of their impossible quest to stop Pontus and Tartarus dawned on him once more.

Leo sensed the gloominess settling over them. "We need your help," he pleaded to Mnemosyne. "None of us will survive if Tartarus takes over."

The sisters exchanged glances. Rhea and Mnemosyne seemed to be having a silent argument through glares.

"I suppose," Themis said hesitantly. "It is only fair. Your opponents vastly outnumber you — in strength and in numbers."

"Thanks," Leo muttered.

"None of us want to live in a world ruled by Tartarus," she said quietly. Themis send a sidelong nod to her sister.

"After the second Titan War," Mnemosyne sighed. "Zeus granted me safekeeper of Kronos' scythe. He said it was too powerful a weapon with too much history to leave lying around."

"The blade from the prophecy," Frank said in understanding.

"The problem is..." Mnemosyne clasped her hands together apologetically. "I require my five rings of power to summon the scythe, and as of recently, I seem to have...lost them."

"Lost them?" Leo exploded. "But-but—you're Titan of Memory!"

Mnemosyne winced. "I know, I know."

"Tartarus must have taken them," Jason reasoned with a frown. "He must've known that the only way we could stop him was with the scythe."

"Mind, Time, Heart, Sight, and Remembrance," Mnemosyne explained. "They are the source of my power."

"The five rings are scattered," Themis confirmed. "I can see three of them — the Diktaean Cave, Anafi, and Limnos."

Frank turned to his friends. "We don't have much time. Hazel's been alone too long."

Piper nodded in agreement. "We'll grab the ring and set off for Anafi as quickly as possible."

"We wish you luck," Theia said.

"Wait," Jason interjected. "Two of ours friends are in Tartarus."

Phoebe nodded in understanding. "Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase."

"How do we find them?" Jason asked helplessly. "When—Where?"

Phoebe held up a hand. "All in good time, son of Zeus."

Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but Piper tugged on his hand urgently.

"Let's go," Piper said in a low voice.

Jason swallowed hard and turned to follow her.

"See you soon," Rhea said softly as the demigods filed out of the cave.

Leo blinked rapidly as he climbed out onto the hillside. It was nearly pitch black outside, compared to the intimate lighting of the cave. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Leo squinted to spot the Argo II docked at the harbour.

And then he saw them — figures looming closer and closer.

"Warriors," Jason warned.

Leo heard the familiar shink of metal as Jason's coin transformed into a sword. Piper drew Katoptris warily.

"It'll take us a while to climb down," Leo realised, imagining their route in his head.

"I'll get the ring," Frank said suddenly. "It's the fastest way. I'll turn into a dragon — meet you on the boat."

Piper hesitated. "Are you sure splitting up is the best idea?"

"We don't have a choice," Jason murmured.

Leo cleared his throat. "We'll distract them, keep them away from Frank."

Frank nodded. He walked a few steps back and took a running leap into the air.

Leo had seen him do it hundreds of times, but watching Frank's hand morph into claws, and wings extending out of his scaled back always left him in awe.

The red dragon shot through the sky like a bullet, its resounding roars and beating of its wings growing softer every second.

"Go, go," Jason urged Piper, helping her down the slope. She hurried down, sliding down grass and running over rocks.

Leo drew a hammer from his tool belt and slammed it over the first warrior's head.

The warrior crumpled like a piece of paper, but another two simply replaced him.

Leo sprinted after his friends, making sure nothing got close enough to Piper to hurt her.

She was panting from the exercise, her eyes flashing with fear as she scrambled away from their opponents.

Leo heard a yell, and an arc of lightning fried a few warriors like burnt toast. He frantically tossed heavy objects towards the warriors as they raced down the hill.

As every second passed, the Argo II's silhouette became clearer and more obvious.

Leo held fire in either palm and waved his arms frantically, hoping Hazel would spot them coming.

His heart lurched with relief asigjt coursed through the deck of the Argo II, illuminating a sleepy Hazel and Festus.

"Piper!" Jason shouted as an invictus lumbered toward her.

Piper spun around and slashed her knife across the monster's abdomen. She ducked as Leo's fireball soared overhead and slammed into the invictus and knocked it to the ground.

They were so close to the ship, Leo could see the flaring of Festus' nostrils as he prepared to defend the ship.

A loud roar echoed, causing Leo to glance up.

Frank the dragon swooped down, blowing fire at a row of monsters, his claws stretching out to grab Piper by the shirt.

She was lifted into the air, shrieking and clinging on for fear life, as Frank deposited her safely on the ship's deck.

"Go! Go!" Leo yelled at the top of his lungs. "Festus, activate Protocol Auto-Pilot!"

The ship creaked to life, Leo's new upgrades kicking in. He watched with satisfaction as the main sail was hoisted, ropes flying all over the ship as the anchor was lifted and the engine thrummed to life.

Hazel had helped Piper belowdeck, but Frank was left stumbling on the deck, slightly dazed from his transformation back into human.

Leo has never run so fast in his entire life. There were monsters hot on his trail, but his legs were burning with cramps.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Leo was suddenly reminded of a Biology lesson in anaerobic respiration when he was younger.

Something slammed into Leo from behind, strong arms wrapping around his waist as Leo's feet were lifted off the ground.

"Hold on," came Jason's voice as they flew into the air, leaving the monsters behind.

As they gained altitude, Leo saw the Argo II start to move out of the harbour, rotating until it began sailing out to sea.

Leo clung onto his best friend until his feet touched the deck of the Argo II, staggering forward with momentum.

Jason rushed up to Hazel. "How's Piper?"

"Resting," Hazel assured him. "She's fine, just a little winded."

"And the ring?" he asked Frank.

Hazel pulled something off her hand. A single metal band dotted with sparkling crystals.

She handed it to Leo, who inspected the ring. There was an inscription in Greek on the inside.

"Sight," Leo translated. He passed it back to Frank, who slipped it on to his finger for safekeeping.

"One down," Frank sighed. "Four to go."

—*—

I can't thank you guys enough for 1K reads! When I started this book, I always hoped that it would become treasured by people. And now that it has, you can't believe how happy I am!

Thank you for everything, I really appreciate the encouraging comments that make me laugh, and the motivating votes that have gotten me through to this point!

With love,
Jess