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A Hero's Blessing: Part 6
🕑 Added 2024-03-01 20:37:26 +0000 UTCHerakles POV
The gods, Herakles ruminated to himself, were a great many things.
Powerful - that was as obvious as it was an understatement. The gods could not be ranked in comparison to humans - the scale was completely different. Even the weakest god was insanely strong by mortal standards.
Knowledgeable - the gods had seen the rise and fall of cities, had influenced the greatest thinkers of Ancient Greece. it was inevitable they knew things humanity had forgotten or never learned.
Meddling - Living for so long meant the gods were constantly searching for a way to make life just a little more interesting. A little more worthwhile.
But, as Herakles looked at the vehicle they’d been using, smoking engine and all, Herakles could only shake his head at another aspect all demigods learned of the gods.
The gods could be petty.
Somebody coughed next to him, and Herakles glanced at an uncomfortable looking Percy.
The boy gestured at the car. “I’m really sorry about your car…”
Herakles let out a deep sigh.
Granted, it might not be the result of meddling. Herakles certainly didn’t know how these vehicles worked. Maybe it was completely legitimate for it to break down.
Soon after having annoyed a god.
Where it broke down right in front of Hephaestus’ Junkyard.
Where said god wanted them to go.
… Yeah, he couldn’t even kid himself.
“Don’t worry about it.” He assured Percy gruffly, ruffling the kids hair and causing him to jerk away in protest. “It’s not your fault. Sometimes, things happen.”
Random acts of gods were occupational hazards as a demigod.
Honestly, Herakles frowned. He’d only thought about ignoring the group decision. Just drive around the junkyard, avoid the situation entirely. It hadn’t been a serious thought…
Probably.
Herakles shook his head and looked towards the gate.
For all that it was associated with a god, the place was… Unassuming, to put it generously. Chain link, now rusted and decrepit, with one gate hanging off its hinges. There was also a sign that said ‘Keep Out’ if you were to brush off the dirt and muck.
… Had Hephaestus lost all pride in his work?
Beyond the gates lay veritable mountains of junk, some old and rusted while others seemed new and unbroken. An eclectic mix of the old such as chariots, swords, and armor lay side by side with more modern creations like vehicles Herakles has seen on the road and other items he couldn’t identify.
Zoe stepped forward and with a bit of effort forced the rusted gate open with a shriek of metal. Which then fell off its hinges with a loud clatter in front of her. She huffed before turning and looking back at him.
“I thank thee for thine help thus far. If thou would rather turn back, now wouldst be the time.” Zoe told him seriously.
Thalia gave a long suffering groan, “Really, Zoe?”
The Huntress turned and gave her an impassive look. “He assisted us this far, at his own expense, for which I am grateful. Now that his vehicle is damaged, his purpose in accompanying us is gone. I shall not have one follow us further without warning.”
Herakles just chuckled as he stepped towards the dilapidated gates. “I appreciate the consideration. But I’m afraid I have no idea where the nearest town is. Forward is as good a direction as any.”
And there was no way he was going to leave them now. And it would be easier to explain than if he followed them in spirit form only to shift into his physical form.
Yes, he would have to confess his nature and purpose eventually, he knew that. But he would prefer to do it at a time when the gods could no longer bar his presence.
“Besides,” Herakles managed to smirk at Thalia. “What kind of brother would I be to ignore my sister in her time of need?”
Thalia scowled at him, “yeah yeah, laugh it up brother. One day I’m going to knock that smile off your face.”
Herakles chuckled, “I look forward to it.” He assured her pleasantly, enjoying the irked expression she gave.
It was cute.
Walking through the ‘gates’, such as they were, didn’t improve the view. Herakles couldn’t see any semblance of organization to the place, only several paths leading in different directions through the mountains of junk.
He was inspecting the various paths when Grover’s call got his attention. Looking back, he saw the satyr holding an intricate metal bracelet.
“How can Hephaestus consider this junk?” Grover asked incredulously, looking the bracelet over. Then, to Herakles horror, brought it up to his mouth to take a bite.
He had faced beasts both demonic and divine. Had confronted titans and gods without flinching. Yet that sight almost gave him a heart attack.
The next instant, Herakles was there, backhanding the piece out of his hand and causing Grover to yelp in surprise. He then picked up the satyr by the scruff of his shirt and brought them face to face. “Don’t. Touch. Anything.” He growled angrily.
Grover gulped. “Ah, yes sir, I didn’t, I was just -”
“Just about to eat the property of a god made from unknown materials that may or may not be bespelled, enchanted, and or cursed?” Herakles finished with a glare.
Grover hesitated, “well when you put it like that…”
Herakles dropped the embarrassed satyr, but kept an unhappy eye on him.
“Thou must consider this hostile territory.” Zoe interjected firmly, giving Grover a glare. “Do not take anything, and avoid touching what thou canst.”
Grover nodded sheepishly, determinedly looking away from her glare.
Thalia tapped the fence with her spear before glancing around. “He’s probably got some sort of surveillance I imagine.” She scowled.
Yep. That sounded like the Hephaestus he knew.
“But…” everybody looked at Bianca who was looking around in confusion. “If this place is really that dangerous, why aren’t there any guards? We just walked through the gates without seeing anybody.”
“Probably doesn’t mean too much.” Percy grimaced. “A couple years ago we triggered a trap Hephaestus had set. One moment the water park was empty, the next we were surrounded by little mecha spiders and cupids.”
Percy and Grover both shuddered as Bianca looked more nervously at the piles of junk.
“They speak truly. Hephaestus, more than any of the other gods, avoids interaction when possible.” Zoe replied to Bianca. “T’would be foolish to assume we art not being observed. But, so long as we follow the instructions given, we should be fine.” She shot a look at Grover and Percy.
Percy looked back and forth between her and Grover for all of two seconds before realizing she was including him in the warning and jerked back. “Hey! I haven’t done anything to warrant suspicion!”
“Thou disobeyed thine own camp’s rules and forcibly joined a quest not of thine own.” Zoe returned dryly.
“Ok, I’ve done one thing to warrant suspicion.” Percy amended. “That’s not exactly a good basis for judgment.”
“Tis not a terrible one either.” she shot back.
Herakles chuckled, interrupting them. “A desire to help is never a bad sign.” He assured Percy warmly. “However, a bit of communication can go a long way to prevent this sort of thing.”
“They wouldn't have accepted my help if I had asked.” He huffed.
“Then take heart, knowing that you came despite not being wanted, and prove your worth.” Herakles replied. “You haven’t been cast out, so you simply need to prove you’re not a burden.”
Percy rolled his eyes. “I guess.” Before looking around with a puzzled look. “So, which way do we go?”
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Walking through the discarded heaps, Herakles’ paranoia slowly increased. They knew there was a threat here, it was simply a matter of finding it, but from a strategic standpoint, the area was a nightmare. So many places for one to be ambushed.
It didn’t help that there was so much that he simply didn’t recognize.
“Is… Is that a pyramid made up entirely of tanks stacked on top of one another?”
“A solid gold washing machine encrusted with diamonds. Somebody pinch me - ow! I said pinch! Not stab!”
“Why does Hephaestus even have dozens of crates of fidget spinners?!”
Herakles shook his head at each new device mentioned. Hephaestus really had been busy.
But what made things worse was seeing their reaction to every new thing they encountered.
It hammered in the fact that they were all so young.
Save for Zoe, each was barely past their first decade. While they had much in the way of natural talent and various amounts of practical experience (and his blood boiled at the thought of how they’d had to come across that experience), they had little in terms of actual training.
Chiron was a miracle worker, but even he needed time to actually teach.
And it showed in a place like this - as they stared in awe at sights they’d never seen before, lowering their guard as nothing happened the further they went in.
They weren’t heroes of renown, trained soldiers, nor experienced wanderers. They were children. Still figuring out who they were, what they liked, what they wanted.
So instead of reprimanding them for not keeping vigilant in the face of an obvious trap, he let them marvel at the sights he barely understood. It was more of a risk, but he was keeping an eye on them, and he could see Zoe doing the same.
The Huntress seemed to catch that they were performing similarly, and he had to resist a chuckle when she determinedly avoided his gaze.
Heracles hummed to himself. “Do I remind you that much of him?” He asked curiously.
Zoe’s gaze snapped to him as she gave a narrow look. “Pardon?”
“Whoever you see when you look at me.” He clarified calmly, glancing past several odd contraptions. “You hide it well, but I remind you of somebody.”
Zoe immediately scowled at him. “That is none of thine business.” She snapped.
Herakles shrugged. “No, it is not.” He agreed solemnly. “However, I… dislike stirring painful memories.” Hades knew he had enough of them. “Especially if I am the cause.”
It wouldn’t stop him from following the group of course. But it would make him feel bad.
Herakles still couldn’t figure out why she felt familiar to him. It was the barest wisp of a memory, tantalizing out of reach.
If she felt the same familiarity, was it because he had fought her in the past? If so, it must have been before she was a Huntress. He had never had any quarrels with Artemis nor her girls.
Alas, without more info it was all pointless speculation. For all he knew, they had passed each other on the road to Tiryns and that was it.
He especially couldn’t recall anyone from his past that purported to hate males (though he was pleased that Zoe was able to keep things professional with them despite her feelings). He actually wondered how she had been with Artemis for so long with those feelings.
While he hadn’t had many interactions with the Goddess of the Hunt, she and Orion hadn’t exactly been subtle…
“… Thou look nothing like him.” Zoe eventually muttered through gritted teeth. “But thy aura reminds me of one who betrayed me and left me for dead.”
Herakles frowned. His aura? Another child of Zeus perhaps?
Zoe shot him a look before he could say anything. “Do not pry farther.” She warned him tightly. “Thou hast thine past, and I hast mine own. Thine pity is unwelcome.”
“I would never.” Herakles replied calmly, acknowledging that she was aware that something about him was off. “As Artemis’ lieutenant, I expect you to be highly accomplished, and I have seen nothing to dispute that. I regret that my presence is causing an issue, but I hope my actions have alleviated that somewhat.”
Zoe rolled her eyes, “thou art better than most.” She acknowledged reluctantly. “Better than Apollo, and I have much experience in dealing with him.”
Herakles huffed a small laugh. “Better than a god?” He asked in amusement. “High praise indeed.”
“In this case, the bar is rather low.” Zoe retorted, but her lips twitched upward slightly.
“Hey guys!” Both looked forward to Thalia.
The punk girl looked between them with a frown, “Bianca found what we think is a marker.” She explained. “We think we might be nearing an exit.”
“Excellent.” Zoe strided forward briskly. “The sooner we exit this place the better.”
Herakles grunted his agreement, but a pet of his thoughts were thinking about what Zoe had told him.
So, a half-sibling had wronged her in the past? It sadly didn’t surprise him too much. He had… Quite a few. Nothing he could do about now though - it was long in the past.
Still, at least she hadn’t been somebody he had hurt.
By the time they were in sight of the exit, Herakles’ paranoia was at its peak.
They had encountered no traps. No tricks. Had he been incorrect about Aphrodite’s intentions?
“I guess you were wrong about this being a trap?” Percy asked as soon as they were out, and Herakles frowned.
It was almost a relief when the giant automaton rose up from a mound of trash.
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“Talos!” Zoe gasped
Herakles nearly did a double take at that. This was the guardian of Europa?
“Who - Who’s Talos?” Percy stuttered.
“One of Hephaestus’ creations.” Thalia explained. “But that can’t be the original. It’s too small. A prototype maybe? A defective model?”
Ah. Herakles felt a bit better, even as the Talos became frustrated by her words.
The Talos he remembered had been a work of art, beloved by the islanders as their protector and guardian.
This… reject… the only thing this had in common with Talos was they were both giant automatons.
“Somebody took something.” Zoe accused, looking at Percy. “Who was it?!”
Percy denied the accusation, but Herakles was too busy paying attention to the opponent. When it took a step forward, the group scattered.
After a moment, Herakles nodded to himself in satisfaction.
Whether by design or lack of care, this Talos was much weaker than the one Herakles had once come across.
If he wanted to, he could easily take it. A solid blow to its knee, with the metal corrugated as it was, would be enough to destabilize the entire being, the collapse would then cripple it further.
Of course, that was assuming Hephaestus built it that way.
Most monsters were fairly straightforward. Take off their head or heart and it dies. Simple. Sometimes you had to do it a couple times for it to stick. A few, like the Hydra, had a gimmick you needed to figure out before it perished.
Automatons weren’t like that. Upon death, it might explode. Or the various components would disconnect and attack. Or it was filed with smaller automata…
Not that it would pose that much more of a challenge, but it would be a hassle. So that wouldn't be his first option. Instead, he had a few ideas of forcing it back.
However, he wasn’t sure if it was in his best interest to do so…
Herakles grimaced.
Regardless of how much he hated the fact that children were thrown into dangerous situations, it would continue to happen. It would be a detriment to them if he stepped in every time.
Further, it would be an insult to do so. They had survived this long without him. With that in mind, he could… Try… to let them take care of this first.
Herakles winced as Talos reached down and barely missed grabbing Grover.
Besides, he was curious how they would handle a foe they could not kill.
It was functionally impossible for them to defeat Talos traditionally. They lacked the firepower.
Now, in the future that wouldn’t be the case. Percy might one day shear through the metal with water pressure. Or Thalia might make lightning powerful enough to melt the metal. Or Bianca would command the legions of the dead to distract it.
There were numerous possibilities.
But that time was not now - future abilities would not help them here.
But that did not mean their defeat was certain. They had options.
First, appeasement. This guardian was made to prevent items from being taken out of the junkyard after all, so returning whatever was taken and making a small sacrifice to Hephaestus should be appropriate.
It hadn’t been Zoe - he knew her well enough by now to determine that. Nor was it Grover - Herakles had been keeping a close eye on the satyr.
That left the three demigods.
Percy claimed it hadn’t been him, and Herakles trusted him. So between Bianca and Thalia…
He studied both of them for a moment. He watched as Thalia had to dive away as Talos destroyed multiple poles that reeked of electricity. As Bianca shot arrows that pinged off of the metal.
Thalia’s face was set in determination, while Bianca’s was taut with stress and guilt.
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
So, Bianca would have to return whatever it was that she’d stolen while the rest distracted Talos.
A second option was running away. True, Talos could catch up to them easily if it wanted. The question turned into whether or not Talos was connected to the Junkyard or not.
Enough distance, and the being would most likely turn back. Or collapse on itself, if the state of its legs were any indication.
The biggest challenge in that scenario would be dodging its sword… Zoe would probably be best in that scenario. She was the most experienced and agile.
Plans formed in his head, Herakles was satisfied to stay back and observe.
Until he saw Bianca, the youngest in their group, charge towards Talos and stood underneath him.
Herakles stared in bafflement - was she attempting some strategy he hadn’t thought of? - when he noticed she was standing right where Talos’ foot would land.
And she clearly knew it,
In that instant, Herakles moved.
He was not the fastest hero - there were many before him that could take that title - but that did not mean that his speed was lacking.
The speed he showed during spars was but a pittance. Now, he pushed, and it showed.
Before anybody realized what was happening, he was before Bianca, an arm reaching out and snagging her just as the foot came down.
Bianca shrieked in shock in pain as the arm hit her at dizzying speeds, the sound lost as the ground shuddered.
Bianca gasped for breath for a moment before looking up. “A-Alcides? W-what are -“ she froze at the look on his face.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” He thundered, feeling angrier than he had in a long time. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
“I-I”
Herakles scoffed, turning away viciously.
He had given them a chance, now it was his turn.
Bianca’s attempts at speaking fell quiet as a large, white bow appeared in his hands. It was beautifully crafted, a work of art. Reaching into his quiver, he muttered the activation under his breath.
In moments, a storm of arrows were unleashed into the air. Each, however, missed the bronze automaton.
That wasn’t their goal.
In moments, the magic took. The arrows warped and twisted, the bronze arrows filling out and expanding.
The Noble Phantasm of his Sixth Labor. The Stymphalian Birds.
The sky was filled with the sound and shrieks of the metallic birds, their numbers filling the sky. They weren’t nearly as strong as the Nemean Lion, nor did they have conceptual armor like it did. But there were a lot of them, had metallic claws and wings, and were positively bloodthirsty.
But there was one little fact that most people didn’t realize.
Stymphalian Birds were hoarders.
And as Talos found itself being attacked by a half of the flock of Divine Beasts, the other half were sent back to the Junkyard.
The choice he gave was clear. It was designated as the guardian of the junkyard. Does it continue to chase them? Or does it stop the ongoing pillaging?
Talos roared as it swung its sword ineffectually, the birds flying around further ruin its face and arms. As a last ditch effort, it attacked the spot where Herakles and Bianca were.
Slinging Bianca over his shoulder, Herakles bounded away, easily dodging the furious swings.
After several moments of this, it soon gave up and charged back to the Junkyard where the Birds were clearly reeking havoc.
They all watched the chaos unfold, but eventually the others made their way to Herakles, questions in their eyes.
Questions that would wait.
Herakles set Bianca down and glared at the girl. “Now then, just what was that?” He repeated his question furiously. “What sort of foolishness were you attempting! Did you think your corpse would give it enough of a splinter to back off?!”
“It - I needed to -“ she stammered out.
Herakles found himself angrier than he’d been in a long time. Did the girl desire death? He had seen it happen before, and he found himself furious that he hadn’t noticed if that was the case. Or did she -
“Alcides! Enough!”
He turned and glared at Zoe and the others as they walked up, with Zoe giving him a firm look.
“Bianca is my responsibility.” She stated firmly. “I shall be the one to discipline, if that is needed.”
He struggled with his breathing for a moment before heaving out a sigh.
That… Was probably for the best. Before he said something he shouldn’t in his temper.
“Very well.” He growled out, and walked away.
He needed some time to himself.
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Bianca’s POV, several hours later
It didn’t take Bianca long to find Alcides again. He didn’t exactly hide or anything - it was clear he just wanted to get away for a bit. But now they were about to move out again, and she wanted to talk to him before they did so.
She breathed out slowly, wincing a bit at the sharp pain in her chest as she did so. He was sitting on the ground with his back to her, watching the moon as it rose, but he still managed to be taller than she was.
She was sure he knew she was there, so she walked up, doing her best to banish her nerves.
“I, I wanted to apologize...” she stated, her resolve nearly failing her when he didn’t react at all. Still, she was determined to get it out, even if it was only to his back.
“It was my fault that you had to fight that thing,” she continued on determinedly, “I shouldn’t have picked anything up, and I did, putting us all at risk.”
They had even been told… But it was just a small, stupid toy! It reminded her of her brother, and she wanted to get it for him. To remind him that she still cared about him, even if she was a huntress now.
She shouldn’t have done it. Yet she did, and she would own up to that. She’d been lectured extensively by Zoe already, and had apologized to her and the others. Now she apologized to Alcides.
She waited for some kind of response for a few seconds before sighing dejectedly. “Anyways, I just wanted you to know.”
“Do you know why I was so angry?”
She felt her heart jump into her throat at the unexpected question. He still wasn’t looking at her, but he didn’t sound like he was angry.
She would accept that.
“I ignored the advice given by a god and put the entire team in danger.” She replied promptly.
To her surprise the man snorted in amusement, “to ignore the gods,” he rumbled thoughtfully. “Many would debate on whether that’s wise or not.” He turned his head back and waved to the spot beside him. “May I tell you a story?”
She cautiously moved and sat down, feeling incredibly small next to him.
They sat in silence for several seconds, his expression contemplative as she watched him.
“This is an old story.” He began eventually,”Back in Ancient Greece. There was a demigod named Phidias. Son of Ares. A soldier.” He let out an explosive breath. “He had a decent head on his shoulders. Decent tactician, a good fighter… Or so they say. During a war, he was ordered to sneak behind enemy lines and observe an enemy encampment. Observe, and to send out a flare if they were to show signs of moving out.”
He shook his head, “Phidias did as he was told. But after observing for a while, he saw he had the perfect opportunity to sneak inside the encampment.”
He huffed, “He would never get a chance like that again, and there was no time to get permission from the commander. The enemy were just regular humans, unprepared for a fight, while he was a demigod of considerable skill, with the advantage of a sneak attack.” He spread his arms out, “think of how many he could kill before they realized he was there! The chaos that would throw them into! Just imagine how many lives that would save! How could he pass such an opportunity up?”
Bianca waited patiently. The way Alcides was acting, she figured this story didn’t have a happy ending...
“He snuck in. Killed the officers before anybody realized he was there, and by the time the alarm sounded he was making his way through the men. He was just about to turn back and run, the mission a success.”
Alcides paused long enough to scoff. “Just in time for the long range magic bombardment leveled the encampment.”
Bianca drew back in surprise and looked at the man, her eyes wide. He continued looking out on the horizon, his expression a glare.
“Phidias had his faults.” He murmured, “but he was a decent man. Nobody wants to die, but when it’s impossible to avoid we at least hope we managed to accomplish something.” His muscles tightened, and for a moment she thought she could hear them straining.
“Yet in the end,” he snarled, “his death was absolutely pointless! All he had to do was observe and the place would have been destroyed regardless of what he did!”
He finally looked at her, and it took everything she had not to flinch under that stare. “Now, do you understand why I was angry?”
She hesitated, trying to figure out the connection between his story and her actions.
He sighed, but didn’t look disappointed. “The junk guardian was large and strong. It might even qualify as an army killer… But it was slow and unwieldy. Either Miss Nightshade or myself could have run circles around it all day if needed. I had ideas, and I’m sure that Miss Nightshade had plans as well.” He fixed his eyes on her, “and none of those plans involved somebody sacrificing themselves.” He finished sternly.
Ah, there was the guilt again. She wondered where it had gone.
“I wasn’t going to sacrifice myself,” she protested, wilting under his gaze. “I didn’t know you guys had it handled…” she shuddered at the memory of that huge sword cleaving through the ground, narrowly missing Zoe and Thalia, “There was a maintenance hatch underneath its foot,” she explained, “I thought there might have been something that would turn it off.”
He lifted an eyebrow, “you thought the God of the Forge would build a guardian that could be turned off by a simple switch?” He asked slowly.
She felt her face heat up, “T-there might have been something!” She exclaimed, “And if not, M-maybe I could mess with the mechanisms inside, break something important…”
He looked at her with such a disappointed look, and she felt her words shrivel in her chest.
Why couldn’t he get angry at her and yell or something? This was so much worse!
“You did not know we had it handled because you have never seen either of us in action. Not truly.” He explained heavily. “You are the least experienced person in this group.” She made to protest and he held up a hand, “That is not an insult, merely fact. This is your first quest - you are meant to use this time to learn and experience, not decide by yourself to risk life and limb without consulting anybody. The situation was far from dire. We didn’t need crazy plans to survive. Why didn’t you follow orders and follow Miss Nightshade?”
“S-she was busy with the robot… And I did tell Percy…” she mumbled weakly, and he gave her another look.
“She is your superior, both as part of this group and as a Huntress.” He rebuked. “There are times when you should break from orders… But to know when to do so takes time and experience.” He pinned her with a look. “Most orders are given to keep you safe. Most superiors don’t want their subordinates to die.”
With a sigh Alcides stood up and stretched, the sight making him more intimidating than before. Seriously, did he have monster blood in him or something?!
“Phidias disobeyed his orders because he thought he knew better.” The giant murmured. “He thought his actions would save lives in the end. But because he lacked information, his disobedience only led to a pointless death. Had you gone in that thing, you would have risked your life pointlessly.”
He reached down and rubbed her hair gently, and she looked down in shame.
“Do you know why I was so angry?” He asked softly, continuing before she could respond. “Let me tell you a secret. The best way to make somebody angry?” He gave her a sad smile. “You scare them. Seeing you, a child, attempting something that would almost surely result in injury or death?”
She wanted to protest that she wasn’t a child, that she hadn’t been in a while, but the look in his eyes stopped her.
She and her brother had been on their own for so long, just them against the world. It was because of this that she learned to read other people, and she felt she was pretty good. It was why she trusted Lady Artemis so quickly, as well as Zoe. They were good people, she was sure.
Looking in Alcides eyes, at that moment, she saw so much pain and sadness that it took her breath away.
“In that moment,” he continued slowly, “I was terrified.”
Bianca looked away at that, unable to reply in in the face of that genuine admission.
What could she have said? How long had it been since somebody had truly cared for her safety like that? Usually it was her that was looking out for her and her brother.
Before she could say anything more, a bright light shown on them from the distance, followed swiftly by the sound of a car.
Alcides smoothly moved in front of her as the car - a van - stopped in front of them.
The window rolled down, and a young woman with brown hair and a bright smile poked her head out.
“Hey there!” She called out, “Do you guys need a ride somewhere?”
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Author's Note:
You guys would not believe how many times I've had to rewrite this chapter... It did not want to come together. Even this rendition I have here I'm not that certain about... If you guys could let me know what you think and if you think I should change stuff, let me know. I'd be very grateful.
I always planned on Bianca being saved by Herakles. And Herakles was going to be angry at her actions. That part of the book always bothered me - because it really doesn't feel like it should have worked. It was a suicide mission.
Anyways, let me know what you guys think!
Comments
Gabriel jakubovic Canejo
I though It was Pretty Good so Don't Worry
Adam Costello
Fatherly Herakles. So glad Bianca lives, and Herakles shows her he cares. And he is still puzzling thr mystery of Zoe and who hurt her. Wait till he finds out.
