★ 。＼｜／。★

𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖎𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊-𝖍𝖚𝖎𝖙:
UNSURPRISINGLY, THEY
GET CAPTURED

★ 。／｜＼。★

IT WAS EASY at first. There were monsters everywhere. Hundreds of Ogres, Earthborn, and Cyclopes were milling through the ruins, although most of them were gathered at the Parthenon to watch the ceremony in progress. Belle followed Piper along the cliffs of the Acropolis, occasionally nervously glancing at the large crowd. She wasn't exactly very keen to be separated from Percy and Annabeth — especially at the Parthenon where Poseidon and Athena's rivalry started — but she had to stick to the plan. Belle held Sunflower's hilt tightly in her hand (which was disguised as a huge club) and tried to repeat positive affirmations in her head.

Belle and Piper approached the first onager. Next to it, three Earthborn were sunbathing on the rocks. The two shared a quick glance.

Piper walked right up to them and smiled. "Hello."

Before any of them could make a sound, Piper took her jagged Boread sword and cut them down. All three melted into heaps of sludge. Meanwhile, Belle cut the onager's spring cord with Sunflower to disable the weapon. Both girls nodded their heads subtly to each other. One down, a lot more to go. The two of them knew they were committed now. There was no backing out. They had to do as much damage as possible before the sabotage was discovered. Then they continued to walk.

They skirted around a patrol of Cyclopes. The second onager was surrounded by many tattooed Laistrygonian Ogres, but Piper approached the weapon without any suspicion. She dropped a vial of Greek fire in the sling. The plan was as soon as the monsters would try to load the catapult, everything would explode in their faces. That was if they were lucky, which normally they weren't.

Both of them kept moving. Belle, once again, glanced nervously into the crowd. She didn't see Percy or Annabeth (even in disguise) anywhere. That made her heartbeat increase. Nevertheless, she paid attention to the task at hand. Gryphons were roosting on the colonnade of an old temple. A group of Empousai (ugh, Belle was so done with them) had retreated themselves into a shadowy archway. They appeared to be sleeping, their fiery hair flickering dimly and their brass legs glinting. Hopefully the sunlight would make them sluggish if they had to fight, since they were vampires and all.

Wherever they could, Belle and Piper took the opportunity to slay isolated monsters. The farther they walked, the larger the groups were. Meanwhile, the crowd at the Parthenon was also growing larger. Belle wasn't able to see what was happening inside the ruins except for the heads of maybe twenty or thirty Giants standing in a circle, mumbling and swaying.

Belle disabled a third siege weapon by cutting through the torsion ropes with Sunflower. That would give the Argo II a clear approach from the north. Belle hoped that Frank in the form of bees was watching their progress. She wondered how long it would take for the ship to arrive.

The chanting suddenly stopped and a loud BOOM echoed across the hillside. In the Parthenon, Giants roared in triumph. Monsters all around Belle and Piper surged towards the sound of celebration. Belle and Piper shared a concerned glance. That wasn't good.

Both of them blended into the crowd of sour-smelling Earthborn. They bounded up the main steps of the temple and climbed a section of metal scaffolding so they could see above everyone else. However, once Belle saw the scene in the ruins, she felt like she couldn't breathe. It was like all of the air was knocked right out of her.

Dozens of Giants stood in a loose ring before Porphyrion's, the anti-Zeus', throne. They were hollering and shaking their weapons as two of their members were parading around the circle and showing off their prizes. Periboia, the anti-Aphrodite, was holding Annabeth by the neck while Enceladus, the anti-Athena, had Percy wrapped in his massive fist. Percy and Annabeth struggled helplessly. Their captors displayed them to the cheering horde of monsters before facing the throne. King Porphyrion was sitting in on it, his white eyes gleaming with malice.

"Right on time!" Porphyrion bellowed. "The blood of Olympus to raise the Earth Mother!"

"No," Belle whispered, her heart feeling as if it were being squeezed dangerously tight. "Percy. Annabeth."

She went to go run forwards, but Piper grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Belle whirled around, her eyes wide in panic and horror.

"Piper we have to help them," Belle said.

"I know," Piper replied. "Just hold on a second."

Porphyrion rose to his full height. His face was as green as bile with a twisted sneer and his seaweed-colored hair was braided with swords and axes that Belle assumed came from dead Demigods.

He loomed over Percy and Annabeth and watched them struggle. "They arrived just as you foresaw, Enceladus! Well done!"

Enceladus bowed his head, braided bones clattering in his dreadlocks. "It was simple, my king."

The flame designs gleamed on his armor and his spear burned with purplish fire. He only needed one hand to hold his captive. Despite all of the power Percy had and everything he had survived, he was now helpless against the strength of the Giant and the inevitability of the Prophecy. Belle clenched her fist in anger. All around her, the grass of the Parthenon rippled, like Belle's anger was being projected into waves.

"I knew these two would lead the assault," Enceladus continued. "I understand how they think. Athena and Poseidon . . . they were just like these children! They both came here thinking to claim this city. Their arrogance has undone them!"

Belle's head spun over the roar of the crowd. The only thought that was prominent in her mind was Enceladus' words — these two would lead the assault. Maybe they had expected Percy and Annabeth, but they probably didn't expect Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, and Belle Adair, daughter of Demeter with the name of a princess. Others often didn't take them seriously. That could be used to their advantage.

Annabeth went to say something, but Periboia shook her roughly by the neck. "Shut up! None of your silver-tongued trickery!" She then drew a hunting knife about as long as Sunflower. "Let me do the honors, Father!"

"Wait, daughter," Porphyrion insisted, stepping back a little. "The sacrifice must be done properly. Thoon, destroyer of the Fates, come forward!"

A smaller Giant shuffled into sight. He had ratty gray hair, a wrinkled face, and milky eyes. Instead of armor, he was wearing a tattered sackcloth tunic. His dragon-scale legs were as white as frost. He held an oversized meat cleaver and fixed his eyes on Annabeth. Percy apparently wasn't having that and shouted in defiance. At the other end of the Acropolis, about a hundred yards away, a geyser of water shot into the sky.

Porphyrion laughed. "You'll have to do better than that, son of Poseidon. The Earth is too powerful here. Even your father wouldn't be able to summon more than a salty spring. But never fear. The only liquid we require from you is your blood!"

Belle scanned the sky anxiously. Surely the Argo II had to be coming soon.

Thoon knelt and touched the blade of his cleaver reverently against the Earth. "Mother Gaea . . ." His voice was impossibly deep. It shook the ruins and made the metal scaffolding resonate underneath Belle's feet. "In ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life. Now, let the blood of these Demigods return the favor. We bring you to full wakefulness. We greet you as our eternal mistress!"

Belle had enough. She grabbed Piper's arm and leaped from the scaffolding. Both of them sailed over the heads of the Cyclopes and Ogres, landed in the center of the courtyard, and pushed their way into the circle of Giants. Thoon began to rise to use his cleaver, but Belle flicked her hand. Plants reached up and wound themselves around the Giant so he couldn't move. Piper took the opportunity to slash upwards and slice off Thoon's hand at the wrist with her sword.

Thoon wailed. The cleaver and severed hand laid in the dust at Piper's feet. Belle flicked her hand downwards and allowed the plants around Thoon to retract back into the ground. She felt her Mist disguise burn away until she was back to her regular self — a daughter of Demeter who had been through so much for this to be the end with a sword named Sunflower that looked frightfully small next to the Giants' massive weapons.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Porphyrion thundered. "How dare these weak, useless creatures interrupt?'"

"Weak?" Belle repeated, an eyebrow raised. "Try again."

And together, Belle and Piper attacked.

The two of them had the same advantages — they were small, quick, and absolutely out of their minds. Piper drew Katoptris and threw it at Enceladus. The Giant let out a painful howl and there was a small thud next to him. Now that the Giant was distratced, the two of them could split up to get to Percy and Annabeth.

"Go!" Belle urged, gesturing over to Annabeth. "You go to Annabeth, I'll go to Percy!"

Piper nodded in response. The two of them veered off in their separate ways. In front of her, about a hundred feet away, Belle could see Percy getting sluggishly to his feet. Enceladus was next to him, staggering with Piper's knife in his forehead as golden ichor streamed into his eyes. She picked up her pace and ran in between Giants' legs, causing their heads to bash together. Belle flicked her hand upwards and caused Giants to get caught in plant traps while also jabbing Sunflower downwards into dragon-scale feet.

"NO!" Porphyrion shouted. "STOP THEM! KILL THEM!"

Many weapons almost impaled her. Belle swerved out of the way and found herself getting closer to Percy. She kept reminding herself it was just like capture the flag but bigger. A large sword suddenly went down next to her, but Belle leaped out of the way and rolled, finally in front of Percy who was on his knee after his fall.

"Sorry I got captured," Percy let out, reaching up to her.

"We can talk about that later," she replied, grasping onto his hands. "But come on, right now we have to go."

With all of her strength, Belle pulled Percy up and allowed him to lean on her. She was just about to try and lead them away when yet something else went wrong.

"I think not, Demigod!" Periboia yelled. "This one bleeds!"

Belle's eyes widened as she looked across the way. Piper was still zigzagging her way to Annabeth, who was still kicking and writhing in the Periboia's group. Periboia was raising her knife above Annabeth.

"MISS!" Piper desperately screamed in charmspeak.

At the exact same time, Annabeth — being the smart girl she was — kicked her legs up to make herself a smaller target. Perioboia's knife passed beneath Annabeth's legs and stabbed the Giantess' own palm.

"OWWW!" Perioboia cried out.

She dropped Annabeth. Annabeth was alive, but not unscathed. The dagger had sliced a pretty nasty gash across the back of her thigh. As Annabeth rolled away, her blood soaked right into the Earth.

"The blood of Olympus," Belle realized. She looked over at Percy. "We have to get over there unscathed."

"Easier said than done," Percy muttered.

Belle and Percy began to move away from the Giants. However, they weren't interested in them at the moment. Instead, they were watching Piper lunge at Periboia. For some reason, her sword was steaming and blue. Piper stabbed the Giantess in the gut. Periboia glanced down in surprise as Frost spread across her bronze breastplate. Piper yanked out her sword, and the Giantess, now steaming white and frozen solid, toppled backwards. She hit the ground with a thud.

"Hey, sweetheart?" Percy asked.

Belle's eyebrows knit in confusion. "When have you ever called me that?"

"I'm hoping it'll make you less mad at me for what I'm about to do."

"What—"

"My daughter!" king Porphyrion shouted.

He levelled his spear and charged. Percy pushed Belle gently away from him, and before she could protest, he ran straight at Porphyrion. It was a stupid move, really, considering he didn't have Riptide (it must have been confiscated or lost in fighting and hadn't reappeared), but as Porphyrion approached Piper, Percy grabbed the tip of the king's spear and forced it down into the ground. The Giant's own momentum lifted him off of his feet in an unintentional pole-vault maneuver. He flipped over onto his back.

Belle discreetly flicked up her hand. The plants around her bent to her will and wrapped around Porphyrion on the ground in effort to keep him in place. Meanwhile, Piper was standing in front of Annabeth while the blonde dragged herself across the ground. She swept her ice-cold blade back and forth to keep the Giants at bay.

"Who wants to be the next Popsicle?" Piper yelled. "Who wants to go back to Tartarus?"

"I've been there," Belle added, raising Sunflower and twirling the green hilt effortlessly in her hand. "Trust me, it's as worse as you remember. Don't think we'll hesitate even for a second to send you back."

About forty feet from both Belle and Piper in their respective positions, Percy was bent over Porphyrion, trying to yank a sword out from the braids of his hair. However, Porphyrion wasn't as stunned as he let on. He ripped through Belle's plants like they were nothing even though she had tried to make them as thick as possible.

"Fools!" Porphyrion shouted.

He backhanded Percy and sent him flying into a column with a sickening crunch.

"Percy!" Belle screamed, her eyes widening.

She went to run over to them, but the tip of a spear poked her back. Belle froze in her tracks and turned her head slowly. Standing beside her was none other than Ephialtes, the same Giant she had trapped in plants back at the Colosseum in Rome.

Porphyrion rose to his feet. "These Demigods cannot kill us! They do not have the help of the Gods. Remember who you are!"

The Giants closed even farther in. Belle gripped Sunflower tightly in her hand and glanced around. Spears were pointed at her in all directions as well. Same with Piper. They had nowhere to go. Belle felt Ephialtes poke his spear into her back a little harder — not enough to draw blood, but enough for it to hurt. She gritted her teeth and glared up at him.

Belle kept looking around for a way to possibly try and escape. Annabeth struggled to her feet on the other side of the Parthenon. She had retrieved Periboia's hunting knife, but she could barely stand upright. Every drop of blood that fell from her wound bubbled and turned to gold when it hit the ground. And finally, she locked eyes with Percy. He was attempting to stand but he was too dazed. She shook her head discreetly. Neither him or Annabeth could fight right now. The only choice at the moment was to let Belle and Piper keep the Giants focused on them.

"Maybe then Piper and I will just destroy you ourselves," Belle said, her voice stone-cold. For some reason, Sunflower's hilt glowed a brighter green, and she felt strength surge through her veins. "Bring it on."

The metallic smell of storm suddenly filled the air. Belle felt all of the hairs on her arms stand up.

"The thing is, you don't have to," a familiar voice announced.

Belle looked up and immediately smiled. At the top of a colonnade was Jason, his gold gladius glinting in the sunlight. Frank stood at his side with his bow ready. Hazel sat on Arion, who reared and whinnied in challenge. Her friends had made it.

None of the Giants spoke. With a deafening blast, a white-hot bolt arced from the sky and passed through Jason's body. And while wreathed in lightning, Jason leaped at the Giant king, starting the fight that Belle would never forget.

—  [ ♡ ] —

how tf is this almost the end of this book I'm so sad

four more chapters and then three bonuses 🧍🏼‍♀️ no I refuse

gifs by 1-800-SIMPINGFORSEB !