Children of the Big Three-Book One-Quest for Truth

Chapter 15-Zaylor

We headed down Half-Blood Hill together. I kept my weapons close, in case I needed them, being out of camp boundaries and all. We stopped when we came to a desolated part of the forest below the hill.

"Well," I said, dreading the answer to my own question. "Do we get a plane ticket and fly of the West coast?"

Sydney and Jace automatically laughed together.

"What?" I asked.

"Demigods can't fly," Sydney said. "That's Zeus's dominion. He will literally blast us out of the sky."

Suddenly a memory came to my mind. When I was eight once, my mom and I were flying to Utah for my aunt Kimber's wedding. It scared me knowing I was about to fly in the air above the ground, especially because I was afarid of heights.

"Don't be scared," my mother told me. "The sky is your domain only if you believe it is."

That same day I flew on my first airplane, but I refused to sit by the window.

"Good," I said laughing. "I hate heights."

"Then she can't be a daughter of Zeus," Sydney whispered quietly to Jace, but it was loud enough for me to hear. Jace nodded.

"So we walk?" I interrupted.

"We'll buy bus tickets," Jace said. He clapped his hands together. "Who has the equipment backpack?"

"I do," I said raising my hand. "But first, let's actually find a bus stop."

"Good idea," Sydney said. "We-"

She was cut off by an extremely loud rustling noise from the bushes around us.

"What-" I started.

"Shh," Jace said.

"Bu-"

"Shhh!" The two said in unison.

The noise got louder and louder.

ROAR!!!

I gulped. "Jace, I really hope that's your stomach."

Out of the bushes came a tiny bunny. I lowered my weapon.

"Aw," I said. "It's so cute!"

The bunny was then swallowed by a huge beast with a lion's head and blood caked mane, a long, diamondback snake on its behind, and the hooves and body of a goat. Sticking out of its side was the rest of the body and head of the goat. The snake at its butt also had a head.

"Does anyone else think the snake head attached to the butt is wrong?" I asked.

"Stay perfectly still," Jace whispered, raising his weapon.

"Are you kidding?" I whispered back.

"It's got three heads," Sydney interrupted.

"It's cool," I argued.

At that same moment the lion's head breathed fire at us.

"Never mind," I said, getting in a fighting stance. "Let's kick some whatever-the-heck-that-is butt!"

"It's a chimera," Jace said. "Lion, goat, and snake all in one."

"Wrap that up and give it to a child on Christmas," I joked.

"Chimera, three o'clock!" Sydney screamed.

Jace and I both instinctively ducked. The snake's fangs missed Jace's head by inches.

And that is how the action started.