FLOWER POWER ─ percy jackson

xx. fireball

"Tyson, stay here," he said, his sea green eyes blazing on the horizon. "I don't want you taking any more chances."

Aster's eyes widened slightly. Tyson was a cyclops. How Percy hadn't realized that after the whole cannibal incident, she had no idea. Tyson was immune to fire. Immune to fire. They were fighting fire-breathing bulls.

Aster was starting to become convinced that his head was full of seaweed.

"No!" she said. "We need him."

Percy whipped his head around at her. "He's mortal. He got lucky with the dodge balls but he can't–"

"Percy, do you know what those are up there? The Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself. We can't fight them without Medea's Sunscreen SPF 50,000. We'll get burned to a crisp."

"Medea's what?"

Aster rummaged through her backpack and let out a string of curses that would get her scolded by her father. "I had a jar of tropical coconut scent sitting on my night-stand at home. Why didn't I bring it?"

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not going to let Tyson get fried."

Aster nearly growled. "Percy–"

"Tyson, stay back." Percy ignored her, raising his sword. "I'm going in."

Tyson tried to protest, but Percy was already running up the hill toward Clarisse, who was yelling at her patrol, trying to get them into phalanx formation. It was a good idea. The few who were listening lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, locking their shields to form an ox-hide–and-bronze wall, their spears bristling over the top like porcupine quills. Aster cursed again and ran after him, telling Tyson to follow her, but he stayed in his place. She didn't have time to convince him.

Unfortunately, Clarisse could only muster seven campers, a;ong with Annabeth. The other four were still running around with their helmets on fire. Aster ran towards Annabeth, but one of the bulls interrupted her. Annabeth taunted one of the bulls into chasing her, then turned invisible, completely confusing the monster. The other bull charged Clarisse's line.

Percy was halfway up the hill—not close enough to help. Clarisse hadn't even seen them yet.

The bull moved deadly fast for something so big. Its metal hide gleamed in the sun. It had fist-sized rubies for eyes, and horns of polished silver. When it opened its hinged mouth, a column of white-hot flame blasted out. Aster ducked and rolled to avoid it.

"Hold the line!" Clarisse ordered her warriors.

Above all else, Clarisse was brave. She was a big girl with cruel eyes like her father's. She looked like she was born to wear Greek battle armor, but Aster didn't know how even she could stand against that bull's charge.

Unfortunately, at that moment, the other bull lost interest in finding Annabeth. It turned, wheeling around behind Clarisse on her unprotected side. Aster tried to get there, but she was too slow getting up.

"Behind you!" Percy yelled. "Look out!"

He really shouldn't have said anything, because all he did was startle her. Bull Number One crashed into her shield, and the phalanx broke. Clarisse went flying backward and landed in a smoldering patch of grass. The bull charged past her, but not before blasting the other heroes with its fiery breath. Their shields melted right off their arms. They dropped their weapons and ran as Bull Number Two closed in on Clarisse for the kill.

Percy lunged forward and grabbed Clarisse by the straps of her armor. He dragged her out of the way just as Bull Number Two freight-trained past. He gave it a good swipe with Riptide and cut a huge gash in its flank, but the monster just creaked and groaned and kept on going.