Invisible ― Jason Grace

xviii. like stones

CAMILLA WAS OFFICIALLY adding train derailments to her 'worst ways to spend the evening' list. 

Her vision blurred as she tumbled off of the train car, hitting the ground hard. She pushed herself back to her feet quickly, summoning Hurricane like it was second nature already. One of the creatures dove for her, and she swung her sword in a wide arc, turning the flying monstrosity to dust.

She looked around for her friends. Frank was on his feet, his bow out and an arrow nocked. Hazel was swinging her sword at any monster that came close. 

Her newfound half-brother was being carried off by one of the red-eyed monsters. 

"Percy!" she yelled. 

"I've got him!" Frank called, shooting an arrow and hitting the monster right in the throat. The creature shrieked and let go, and Percy fell. 

The son of Neptune crashed through tree branches until he slammed into a snowbank. He groaned, managing to stand, which hopefully meant nothing was broken or maimed by his trip down. 

Camilla took out another creature, but there were so many. At least a dozen, maybe more. Every time she defeated one, another came, and the defeated pile of dust started to re-form within seconds. 

"What are these things?" Percy yelled, swinging his sword at one of the creatures. 

"Gryphons!" Hazel said. "We have to get them away from the train!" 

Camilla saw what she meant. The train cars had fallen over, and their roofs had shattered. Tourists were stumbling around in shock. No one looked seriously injured, but the gryphons were swooping toward anything that moved. The only thing keeping them away from the mortals was a glowing gray warrior in camouflage—Frank's pet spartus. 

"Used your last charge?" Percy asked. 

"Yeah." Frank shot another gryphon out of the sky. "I had to help the mortals. The spear just dissolved." 

Percy nodded. "Let's move the fight!" he said. "Away from the tracks!" 

They stumbled through the snow, smacking and slicing gryphons that re-formed from dust every time they were killed. 

Camilla had no experience with gryphons. She'd learned about them in monster class, but she hadn't really paid those lessons much attention—something she was seriously regretting. 

About fifty yards from the tracks, the trees gave way to an open marsh. The ground was so spongy and icy, Camilla felt like she was racing across Bubble Wrap. Frank was running out of arrows. Hazel was breathing hard, and Camilla wasn't doing much better. Percy's sword swings were getting slower. 

Then Percy tripped over something in the tall grass—a circle of scrap metal about the size of a tractor tire. It was a massive bird's nest—a gryphon's nest—the bottom littered with old pierces of jewelry, an Imperial gold dagger, a dented centurion's badge, and two pumpkin-sized eggs that looked like real gold. 

Percy jumped into the nest, pressing his sword tip against one of the eggs. "Back off, or I break it!"

The gryphons squawked angrily. They buzzed around the nest and snapped their beaks, but they didn't attack. The four demigods made a square, covering all sides. 

"Gryphons collect gold," Hazel said. "They're crazy for it. Look—more nests over there." 

Frank nocked his last arrow. "So if these are their nests, where were they trying to take Percy? That thing was flying away with him."

"Alcyoneus," Percy guessed. "Maybe they're working for him. Are these things smart enough to take orders?" 

"I don't know," Hazel said. "I never fought them when I lived here. I just read about them at camp."