conqueror • percy jackson

4.

"I love you," Rosalyn sighed dreamily, popping the square into her mouth and settling back against her pillows. Clarisse leaned back and did the same.

-

They must've called asleep at some point, because they were woken up to the sound of the cabin door slamming open.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties!" Felix's throaty voice called out.

"I'm going to decapitate you," Clarisse growled, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Laughing off the threat, Felix ambled over to Rosalyn's side of the bed and pulled the girl straight out of it. Wrapping her in a tight hug, he kissed the top of her head.

"Okay?" He asked.

"I'm perfect. Are Grant and Silena back yet?" Rosalyn yawned.

Another voice chimed in, "They are."

Grant pulled his sister from Felix's arms and gave her an equally tight hug. Silena wedged her way between them to get a turn after a moment.

"I'm leaving this love fest," Clarisse announced, her nose wrinkled in distaste.

Before she could get to the cabin door, a loud rumble came from outside. A high pitched whistling sound followed, and then there were screams.

"What was that?" Rosalyn asked, suddenly alert. Her and Clarisse exchanged a solemn look before running out of Cabin Ten.

Two bronze bulls the size of elephants were unleashing breaths of fire all over the hill.

"The armory!" Clarisse ordered, and Rosalyn followed wordlessly.

The girls made it there quickly, putting on their armor at record speed. Eight other campers, most from the Ares cabin, were waiting for them.

"How did it get into camp?" Clarisse demanded as she pulled out her large sword.

"We were patrolling the border when they just charged straight past. We couldn't stop them."

Rosalyn's hand pulled the hairpin from her curls and spun it into Conquerer. Gripping the sword tightly in her hands, she looked to Clarisse

"Call it," Rosalyn breathed out, her heart pounding.

"Ros!" Grant shouted, jogging toward them. Silena and Felix stood behind him, both wearing their fear on their faces. "What's going on?"

"We're under attack. Put on your armor or take cover," Rosalyn grunted. "Clarisse, call it."

"Get them out of camp. By whatever means," Clarisse barked. "Charge!"

The ten of them ran for the Cholchis bulls, made by Hephaestus.

The bulls were raining fire upon the grass of Half-Blood Hill. Rosalyn surged forward and met one of them head-on. Her sword made a clanging sound as it hit the hard bronze, and the vibrations went all the way up her arm.

The angry beast let out a roar, and she barely had time to duck out of the way of its flames. From what she could see around her out of her periphery, several of the others were on fire.

"Border patrol, to me!" Clarisse commanded, her voice carrying over the sound of chaos.

"Clarisse?" Rosalyn called, seeking instructions. Her attempts to incapacitate the bull were failing. She could feel sweat dripping from her body in the heat.

"Keep it busy as long as you can!"

Roger that, Rosalyn thought. She lowered her sword and tried to lure the bull further from camp.

Rosalyn didn't move out of the way quick enough to dodge the next stream of fire, and it slammed right into her chest plate. The heat was unbearable, but she wasn't sure if her skin was burned at all.

She could hear Clarisse shouting at the others somewhere behind her to get them into formation.

Panting, Rosalyn swung her sword again. She hit one of the joints of the metal monster, but it did nothing to slow it down.

"Psst!" A voice cut through the air beside her. Rosalyn's head whipped to the side, but she saw no one.

Annabeth.

"Keep it busy," Rosalyn said, turning and heading for Clarisse.

"Hold the line!" Clarisse ordered just as Rosalyn came up beside her. She raised her shield in phalanx formation with the other six campers.

Staring down the monster, Rosalyn tensed her body. There was no way they'd stand a chance against the bull's charge.

They were going to die.

"Look out! Behind you!"

Percy's voice came from behind them. It startled them all, distracting them.

Bull Number One crashed into their shields, and the phalanx broke. Clarisse went flying backward and landed in a smoldering patch of grass, while Rosalyn was thrown hard to the side. She felt the breath leave her lungs, and the shield she'd been holding was nothing but molten metal.

The other campers dropped their weapons and ran as Bull Number Two closed in on Clarisse for the kill.

"Gods almighty," Rosalyn wheezed, pushing herself off of the ground as fast as she could.

Percy lunged forward and grabbed Clarisse by the straps of her armor, dragging her out of the way just as Rosalyn threw herself in its path.

She got in a good swipe with Conquerer, but the monster just creaked and groaned and kept on going.

"Let me go!" Clarisse pummeled his hand. "Percy, curse you!"

The bull hit Rosalyn at full force and everything went black.