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

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Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html “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?”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html He howled and made another grab for me. He caught a chain and tried to pull himself up. While he was struggling, I lowered my sawed-off chain, hook first. It took me two tries, but finally I snaggedAntaeus’s loincloth. “WAAA!” he yelled. Quickly I slipped the free chain through the fastening link on my own chain, pulled it taut, and secured it the best I could. Antaeus tried to slip back to the ground, but his but stayed suspended by his loincloth. He had to hold on to the other chains with both hands to avoid getting flipped upside down. I prayed the loincloth and the chain would hold up for a few more seconds. While Antaeus cursed and flailed, I scrambled around the chains, swinging and cutting like I was some sort of crazed monkey. I made loops with hooks and metal links. I don’t know how I did it. My mom always said I have a gift for getting stuff tangled up. Plus I was desperate to save my friends. Anyway, within a couple of minutes the giant was suspended above the ground, hopelessly snarled in chains and hooks. I dropped to the floor, panting and sweaty. My hands were raw from climbing. “Get me down!” Antaeus demanded. “Free him!” Luke ordered. “He is our host!” I uncapped Riptide. “I’ll free him.” And I stabbed the giant in the stomach. He bellowed, and sand poured out, but he was too far up to touch the earth, and the dirt did notrise tohep him. Antaeus just dissolved, pouring out bit by bit, until there was nothing left but empty swinging chains, a really big loincloth on a hook, and a bunch of grinning skulls dancing above me like they had finally had something to smile about. “Jackson!” Luke yelled. “I should have killed you long ago!” “You tired,” I reminded him. “Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I’m the winner.” He did just what I expected. He said, “Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I’m feeling merciful today, I’ll have you killed quickly.” He pointed at Annabeth. “Spare the girl.” His voice quavered just a little. “I would speak to her before—before our great triumph.” Every monster in the audience drew a weapon or extended its claws. We were trapped.Hopelessly outnumbered. Then I felt something in my pocket—a freezing sensation, growing colder and colder.The dog whistle. My fingers closed around it. For days I’d avoided using Quintus’s gift. It had to be a trap. But now…I had no choice. I took it out of my pocket and blew. It made no audible sound as I shattered into shards of ice, melting in my hand. Luke laughed. “What was that supposed to do?” From behind me came a surprised yelp. TheLaistrygonian giant who’d been guarding Annabeth flew past me and smashed into the wall. “AROOOOF”
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THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH Percy Jackson ... - No one's invited.

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