TWO

 

I MEET SOME FISHY RELATIVES

 

Demigod dreams suck.

 

The thing is, they're never just dreams. They've got to be visions, omens, and

all that other mystical stuff that makes my brain hurt. 1 dreamed 1 was in a

dark palace at the top of a mountain. Unfortunately, I recognized it: the palace

of the Titans on top of Mount Othrys, otherwise known as Mount Tamalpais, in

California. The main pavilion was open to the night, ringed with black Greek

columns and statues of the Titans. Torchlight glowed against the black marble

floor. In the center of the room, an armored giant struggled under the weight of

a swirling funnel cloud — Atlas, holding up the sky.

 

Two other giant men stood nearby over a bronze brazier, studying images in the

flames.

 

"Quite an explosion," one said. He wore black armor studded with silver dots

like a starry night. His face was covered in a war helm with a ram's horn

curling on either side.

 

"It doesn't matter," the other said. This Titan was dressed in gold robes, with

golden eyes like Kronos.