Percy Jackson Blood of Olympus (Percy Jackson fanfic)

XVIIAnnabeth

Walt and Annabeth stood at the prow, talking in low voices. Jason was on watch tonight, so they’d have to make their escapade fast. Annabeth nervously fingered the rim of her Yankees cap. It had recently started working again, which gave Annabeth hope for her mother.

“Are you sure that’s where he is?” Walt asked.

Annabeth nodded, “Positive. Gaea wants to be awakened in the center of Athens. Leo found some ruins that might just work for Gaea’s purposes. There’s even an altar right in the middle.”

Walt looked at her quizzically, “What makes you think Polybotes will take Percy there? I saw him being dragged into the ocean!”

“After Polybotes has his fun, I think he’ll take Percy there to be used in the sacrifice. They need two demigods for that, but one is a start...” Annabeth trailed off, Walt was looking at her with an amused smile.

“Well in that case...” He focussed his attention on a spot right in front of them and a spinning vortex of sand appeared.

“Go on through, I’ll be right behind you.” Walt nudged her forward.

Annabeth jumped into the whirlpool and immediately wished she hadn’t. It was the worst way of travel in her opinion. It felt like she was being sucked in all different directions at once. Some parts of her wanted to go one way, while others argued that another would be better. Suddenly, she was spat out and rolled several feet.

Walt had a much better landing than Annabeth did. He stepped out of the spinning wall as easy as if going through a door. He held out his hand to Annabeth and helped her to her feet.

"I brought us just outside the ruins so we wouldn't be easily spotted," Walt said as they started heading off in the direction of large, partially collapsed Greek palace.

As they neared the settlement, Annabeth pulled her cap on. Walt did some sort of magic and disappeared as well.

“Now all we have to do is find where they’re keeping him.” Annabeth muttered.

Walt’s voice came from somewhere to her left, “Where do we start?”

Annabeth looked around for anything that could lead to a holding cell. The building roof had completely collapsed, there was no way anything could be in there. Annabeth scanned for maybe a descending stairwell leading to lower levels.

“There!” she whispered, “By that shrine to Zeus.”

She and Walt, (well she hoped Walt was behind her, she couldn’t see him) began their descent. The stairs went on for ever! Deeper and deeper they climbed, until suddenly, they were in a long very dark hallway.

“Woah,” came Walt’s voice, and woah was right. The walls were so high and so wide, they could have fit a giant. Come to think of it, they probably had fit several giants.

“Come on,” Annabeth walked down the hallway, there weren’t any other choices.

At the end, the corridor split in two. Down the left, a friendly yellow light glowed, and raucous laughter emanated from somewhere farther on. On the right, there was nothing. No sound, no light, and it was freezing cold.

Walt spoke first, “Seems like just the place to keep a prisoner.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth walked cautiously down the right corridor. She pulled out her new Celestial Bronze knife she’d picked up from the ship’s armory. It was long and sharp, with a thin blade, and it was straight, perfect for stabbing, but it wasn’t the same as the one she’d lost in Tartarus. The Bronze lit up only six inches in front of them, leaving too much unseen.