THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH Percy Jackson ... - No one's invited.

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“Argggh!” he yelled. But where blood should’ve come out, there was a spout of sand, like I’d busted
the side of an hourglass. It spilled into the dirt floor, and the dirt collected around his leg, almost like a
cast. When the dirt fell away, the wound was gone.
He charged again. Fortunately I’d had some experience fighting giants. I dodged sideways this time and
stabbed him under the arm. Riptide’s blade was buried to the hilt in his ribs. That was the good news.
The bad news was that it was wrenched out of my hand when the giant turned, and I was thrown across
the arena, weaponless.
Antaeus bellowed in pain. I waited for him to disintegrate. No monster had ever withstood a direct hit
from my sword like that. The celestial bronze blade had to be destroying his essence. But Antaeus
groped for the hilt, pulled out the sword, and tossed it behind him. Moresnad poured from the wound,
but again the earth rose up to cover him. Dirt coated his body all the way to his shoulders. As soon as the
dirt spilled away, Antaeus was fine.
“Now you see why I never lose, demigod!” Antaeus gloated. “Come here and let me crush you. I’ll
make it quick!”
Antaeus stood between me and my sword. Desperately, I glanced to either side, and I caught
Annabeth’s eye.
The earth, I thought. What had Annabeth been trying to tell me?Antaeus’s mother was Gaea the earth
mother, the most ancient goddess of all.Antaeus’s father might have been Poseidon, but Gaea was
keeping him alive. I couldn’t hurt him as long as he was touching the ground.
I tried to skirt around him, but Antaeus anticipated my move. He blocked my path, chuckling. He was
just toying with me now. He had me cornered.
I looked up at the chains hanging from the ceiling, dangling the skulls of his enemies on hooks. Suddenly
I had an idea.
I feinted to the other side. Antaeus blocked me. The crowd jeered and screamed at Antaeus to finish me
off, but he was having too much fun.
“Puny boy,” he said. “Not a worthy son of the sea god!”
I felt my pen return to my pocket, but Antaeus wouldn’t know about that. He would think riptide was
still in the dirt behind him. He would think my goal was to get my sword. It wasn’t much of an advantage,
but it was all I had.
I charged straight ahead, crouching low so he would think I was going to roll between his legs again.
While he was stooping, ready to catch me like a grounder, I jumped for all I was worth—kicking off his
forearm, scrambling up his shoulder like it was a ladder, placing my shoe on his head. He did the natural
thing. He straightened up indignantly and yelled “HEY!” I pushed off, using his force to catapult me
toward the ceiling. I caught the top of a chain, and the skulls and hooks jangled beneath me. I wrapped
my legs around the chain, just like I used to do at the ropes course in gym class. I drew Riptide and
sawed off the chain next to me.
“Come down here, coward!” Antaeus bellowed. He tried to grab me, but I was just out of reach.
Hanging on for dear life, I yelled, “Come up and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?”