Chapter 105

[Third Person's PoV] 

Lucian and Annabeth were walking side by side. Annabeth had her daggers out, scanning the vicinity.

"Stop being so paranoid," Lucian said, rolling his eyes.

"How can you expect me to be calm after knowing we were being watched? I wouldn't even be aware of it if you hadn't told me," Annabeth replied.

Lucian's head turned, and a black dagger went past his face. He then felt something appear behind him. It swung its arm towards him, but Lucian grabbed it, flipped it to the floor, and stomped on its neck, causing it to puff into golden dust.

"Is that what I think it is?" Annabeth asked, looking around and noticing shadowy figures, each masked with daggers that emitted a purplish hue, resembling typical ninjas except for the shadowy trail around them.

Lucian sighed and nodded. "Shadow Stalkers," he said as he and Annabeth stood back to back.

Annabeth then recounted everything she knew about them. "When a ninja or ronin dies failing to complete their missions, their spirits don't move on. They become one with the shadows and continue killing, trying to regain their honor."

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw a shadow figure. She reacted in time, blocking one of its daggers with her own and slashing its arm off before ducking under its other dagger that was aimed at her neck.

As she ducked, she grabbed its extended arm and jammed her dagger into its neck before stabbing it in the eyes in two quick successions, causing it to turn into golden dust.

"Although they are very fragile, they make up for it with their stealth, as they are very difficult to detect."

"Thank you, Professor Annabeth," Lucian said as he turned his scythe into a chain sickle.

Lucian spun the sickle around until it looked more like a saw.

Although they were difficult for Annabeth to detect, the same couldn't be said for Lucian, as he could see them as clearly as day.

The Shadow Stalkers were running around them, trying to confuse them and remain undetected. Lucian swung his sickle, aiming it ahead of one, predicting its path. It tried to block with its dagger by crossing it in front of itself in an X shape, but Lucian's weapon, made from strong material, cut through the daggers. 

The Shadow Stalker tried to dodge, but Lucian's weapon was faster, slicing a large part of its stomach, turning it into dust. Lucian stepped on the chain, causing the saw blade to change direction, aiming toward another.

They all came at Lucian and Annabeth with their daggers ready, but together, Lucian and Annabeth managed to kill all the Shadow Stalkers. 

Annabeth reached into her bag and pulled out a card with a symbol that read "Fireball." As she threw it, it turned into a fireball, exploding on impact and turning two of the Shadow Stalkers into dust.

"Two o'clock," Lucian said.

Annabeth turned and threw a dagger without hesitation, catching the Shadow Stalker by surprise and embedding the dagger in its forehead.

"Last one at six," Lucian said. Annabeth pulled another card that read "Icicle Spear," which transformed into a large spear made of ice, killing the last Shadow Stalker.

When they were done, Lucian scoffed. "How dare they attack me? Don't they know who my father is?"

Annabeth looked at Lucian weirdly. "Why did you say that in a British accent?"

Lucian shrugged his shoulders. "Just felt right."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and held out her hand. The cards she had thrown floated back to her and started piling up in her hand before she put them inside her pouch. 

Meanwhile, Lucian turned the Shadow Stalkers into his own army. After they were both done, they continued their journey.

Not a minute had passed when they ran into a 'trap'—a gaping abyss in the floor with no visible end, and above it, rows of bars.

"Monkey bars… this is unique," Annabeth said as she jumped and held onto the bars, starting to swing her way across.

As Annabeth was swinging across, she saw something floating near her out of the corner of her eye. When she turned her head to look, she gained a straight face.

Lucian was sitting on a broom, leaning his head against Beatrice's large bosom with a content expression.

"Truly a seat fit for a king," Lucian said, satisfied.

Annabeth's eye twitched a bit before she continued swinging. They both landed back on the ground at the same time. Annabeth continued to look at Lucian, who now had a disappointed expression as he dismounted.

They then arrived in front of a door. As they entered, they noticed a bunch of skeletons hanging on the walls and realized they were in some kind of classroom. 

Iron bars dropped by the door behind and in front of them. Disco lights appeared, followed by music, and a large light focused on a monster.

The monster was a Sphinx, with the body of a lion and the head of a woman. Her hair was tied in a ponytail with too much makeup applied to her face. She had a large blue ribbon that read: "This Monster Has Been Rated Exemplary."

"Welcome, everyone, and get ready to play… ANSWER. THAT. RIDDLE!!" the Sphinx announced as the sound of an audience clapping and cheering filled the room.

Annabeth leaned in and proudly whispered, "Let me take care of this. I know what she's going to say."

"Win and you receive fabulous prizes. Fail, and I get to eat you!" the Sphinx said excitedly, looking at the two of them. "Now, who will be the contestant here today?"

Annabeth walked confidently toward the contestant podium, pushing a skeleton out of the way without a second glance.

"Welcome, Annabeth Chase," the Sphinx said without Annabeth having to say her name. "Are you ready for your test?"

"Yes," Annabeth confidently said. "Ask your riddle."

"Twenty riddles, actually…" the Sphinx said smugly.

"But back in the old days—" Annabeth began, only to be cut off by the Sphinx.

"Oh, we've raised our standards! To pass, you must show proficiency in all twenty. Isn't that great?"

Although this wasn't what Annabeth was expecting, she remained confident. "Uh huh," she said plainly. "Just ask your riddles already, lady."

A drumroll sounded above them as an excited glint shone in the Sphinx's eyes. Lucian watched with a small smile, arms crossed, leaning against the iron bars.

"What is the capital of Bulgaria?" the Sphinx asked.

Annabeth had a confused expression, not by the question itself but by the manner of it. "Sofia… but—"

"And you are correct!!" the Sphinx interrupted as the applause grew louder.

The Sphinx grinned widely, exposing her sharp canines. "Please be sure to mark your answers clearly on the test with a 2B pencil."

A booklet and a sharpened pencil appeared next to Annabeth. She skimmed through the booklet. "These aren't riddles; they're just stupid trivia questions!" she exclaimed, slamming the booklet down on the podium.

The Sphinx ignored her. "Be sure to bubble your answers clearly, and if you erase, do so completely or the machine won't know your answer."

Annabeth saw a grading machine with the letter H.

Frustration grew on Annabeth's face. "What about the riddles—"

"Now then, what's the square root of 16?" the Sphinx asked.

"Four, but what—"

"Correct. Which president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?"

"Abraham Lincoln, let me talk—"

"Correct. How much—"

Annabeth didn't let her finish. She jumped on top of the podium and then over the Sphinx, landing on its lion body. She grabbed the ponytail and yanked it down, causing the Sphinx to let out a roar while looking up until it saw a golden dagger right by its eye.

"Listen here, you ponytail bitch," she spat venomously. "Next time you decide to interrupt me when I'm speaking, there will be dire consequences."

Lucian had tears in his eyes as he covered his mouth, "Oh, how fast they grow."

The Sphinx roared again, trying to buck Annabeth off, but Annabeth had her legs wrapped around tightly. She pulled down harder, causing another loud roar. 

The Sphinx shook Annabeth off a bit, but she grabbed her other dagger and thrust it into the Sphinx, causing it to roar in pain. Annabeth used the dagger as a handle to swing around to the Sphinx's neck, wrapping her legs tightly.

She yanked the dagger out and stabbed the Sphinx in the neck, splashing her face with its blood. 

"ROOOOAR!" It roared in pain, thrashing about and crashing against the answer machine and podium. Annabeth gritted her teeth and continued stabbing its neck until it became lethargic.

Once it slowed down, she switched back to its back, pulled on its ponytail, and stabbed it in the eyes, driving the dagger deep.

The Sphinx let out one final cry before exploding into golden sand.

Annabeth rolled on the floor before standing back up. She swiped the blood from her eyes and spat to the side. Then, she went over and kicked the dust repeatedly. "Here! That's what I think about you and your stupid trivia!!" she yelled, continuing to kick the sand until she was puffing for air.

Lucian let out a whistle and slowly clapped. "Annabeth Chase, I am impressed."

The iron bars then lifted, revealing that the passage was now open. Annabeth stomped forward. "Just shut up and let's go already. That stupid Sphinx put me in a bad mood."

Lucian chuckled in amusement, picking up her spoils of war and following her out.