Decimate

Chapter Sixteen--Dan--Fall Out Phil

The next thing Sunny did was dump an armful of metal bits and screws onto the ground.

"Try and build something. I'll give you five minutes."

Phil giggled and began fiddling with the pieces. I sat on the ground next to the pile and picked up a few screws. Nothing struck me as particularly interesting.

I heard footsteps, and looked up to see a boy with curly brown hair and suspenders walk up and stand next to Sunny, crossing his arms.

"They definitely aren't Hephaestus kids," he noted. "Also, you stole that stuff from my cabin."

Will shrugged. "Where else was I going to get stuff like this?"

The boy stared at the pile. He looked like he wanted to take it all and run away. Instead, he crouched down next to me and began fiddling with it too.

Will scoffed. "Really Leo?"

Leo didn't respond. He only grinned, and showed me what he had made. It was a tiny little bronze dragon, that paced across his palm. I didn't even see any wires in there!

He grinned again at my expression, then set the dragon down, where it promptly ran away.

"Leo's right," Will scoffed. "You aren't Hephaestus kids. Come on. Leo, I'll leave you to clean this up."

Me and Phil stood and followed him, the sounds of bronze against bronze behind us.

I caught up to Will. "Where are we going?"

He smiled, as if he felt sorry for us, but not really.

"I'm taking you to fight your first monster."

We walked into the woods, a place where we were told not to go. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I grabbed Phil's arm and dragged him up to Will.

"I saw something move!"

He stopped and turned, looking surprised, but not scared. His face relaxed. "That's just a dryad." "A what?" Will gestured to a girl in a flowing green dress. Her ears were pointed, and her skin was tinted slightly green. She walked up to us and bowed her head.

Will's brow furrowed. "That's strange. They're usually very standoffish."

The elf girl glared at him. "I can hear you!"

She lowered her head again. It looked like she was either bowing at me or Phil. Weird.

Then, very suddenly, the girl ran away, seeming to vanish into a tree.

Will frowned. "That's weird. They're usually rude to everyone but..." his voice trailed off. He turned to Phil, then grinned. "I have a sneaking suspicion of who your godly parent is." Phil's face lit up. "You do?"

Will nodded. "I need to test it first though. I want you to climb that tree." He pointed to a pine near us, and Phil's smile vanished. "But I'm so clumsy! I'll fall right out!"

"I have a feeling you won't this time."

Phil glanced at me worriedly. "Don't worry," I reassured him, now seeing where this was going. "I'll catch you if you fall."

Phil approached the tree warily and climbed up onto the first branch. Then the next. Then the next and the next, until he was so high up he was moving back and forth in the breeze.

"Can I come down now?" his voice was far away. Will grinned. "Yup. But I want you to jump."

Phil paled, or at least I think he did. He was pretty pale anyway. "What?"

"You heard me."

"But I'll break my legs!"

"No you won't."

"But-"

"Just trust me!"

Phil was shaking. Worry tightened my chest as he began to scoot towards the end of his branch.

"You're doing great!" Will yelled. "Jump whenever you're ready."

"Wait," I said, pulling on Will's sleeve. "Maybe this isn't such a great id—"

Phil slipped.

He fell.

Someone screamed. I think it was me.

But suddenly, the branches on the trees seemed to reach out to grab him.

But they were too late.

Only one reached him in time, and it only slowed his fall a bit and knocked him sideways.

He hit the ground and didn't move.

I ran over to him. He was breathing faintly.

"Phil?"

Will crouched next to me and put two fingers on the side of his neck.

"Oh my gods,"

I looked at him. His face was pale.

I stood, pure rage turning my vision red.

I flung myself at him, somehow finding a branch in my hand.

"HOW COULD YOU!" I hit him as hard as I could in the arm. His eyes filled with pain and fear.

I hit his shoulder.

"PHIL MIGHT BE DEAD AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!" I couldn't seem to find the words, so I filled the silence with screams. Soon Will joined in, as I hit his leg.

He crumpled to the ground, and curled into a fetal position.

I didn't stop hitting him. Before long he went limp. I aimed for his head.

Then my world went dark.

I was cold. I felt a hand on my arm. Suddenly I was twenty feet away from Will, and Nico held onto my arm, his touch sending shivers up my spine. His eyes were so dark they looked like they held no life, and a sword was clenched in his hand, turning his knuckles white.

Rage still filled me. I aimed my stick at Nico.

Then a pain shot through my head, and I passed out.