Heroes of Olympus - The Blood of Olympus (Discontinued)

Chapter 25 - Reyna

Chapter 25 - Reyna

"Laelaps!" Reyna hissed.

The magical hound dog whisked through the trees at a fast pace, leaving Reyna and Hedge running to keep up. They were scouting around the northern side of the town, Carentan; towards the upper face where some of the larger buildings stood. Surrounding its bulk was an expanse of grass fields and farm lands, clusters of eucalyptus trees lining the web of roads snaking through the grass lands into the old town.

While Nico and the god, Amphitryon shadow traveled into Carentan itself to hopefully sneak up on the fox - wherever it was - Reyna, Hedge and Laelaps would wait outside, ready to meet it head-on should Nico and Amphitryon drive it out.

Laelaps streaked across the grasslands, and soon Reyna and Coach Hedge were running at a fast pace, their breathing coming in great puffs as they tried to keep up with their guide.

"I don't know what she senses," Coach Hedge gasped as he galloped beside Reyna on his two goat hooves. "But being an animal translator, she says the fox is close."

"I thought the Teumissian Fox was supposed to be gigantic," Reyna said. "This is just a small town. Where could it honestly be hiding in such a small place such as this?"

Up ahead, Laelaps slowed to a trot and began sniffing the trees along one of the old roads.

Reyna and Hedge caught up to the hound, and bent over, trying to catcht their breath. One of the entrances to the town stood about one hundred meters away.

Cars every so often came rumbling down the road, but no one really paid them much attention. Probably just normal people out for a stroll, walking the dog.

Typical day to spend doing when the world is about to end. 

Laelaps barked and jumped into the bushes, her long, sleek tail, jutting out of the dark foliage like a flag pole.

Hedge grunted. "She says she'd caught just a faint trace of the fox's scent. It's gone a far ways, but at the moment she can't pick up its trail."

"All of that in a single bark?" Reyna muttered.

Hedge straightened up. "Dog language is a lot less complicated then human toungue, cupcake."

"Do not call me that."

"Whatever you say, sweet petunia."

Reyna's death glare was enough to make Hedge gulp and turn back around.

The hound panted heavily, her huge toungue lolling in and out, her breathing as loud as a locomotive.

Reyna was still getting over her shock about the size of Laelaps. St. Bernards and Great Danes were just slightly smaller, but still... a hound dog of her size? She was a massive dog if she weren't part of a god's quest over two millenia ago.

She took a look around. The farm lands were about half a mile down the road, with Carentan to her right, and a small woodland area to her left. The sun rose high above them, its golden rays jutting feebly through the puffy, white clouds overhead.

Nico promised that he would shadow-travel to the trio outside in the fields if things got out of hand inside the town. Though he doubted it would happen when he made the promise. Amphitryon had been hunting the animal for Bellona knows how long... He would surely know what he was doing.

Still, Reyna felt her doubt fill her mind like heavy rain clouds over Camp Jupiter. If they didn't pull this off, how would they ever be able to make it back to English Channel in time? And even then, Nico would be passing out every five minutes, and with their combined exhaustion they would then have to try to get themselves across the sheer bulk of the Atlantic??

The thought almost made Reyna give up right then and there; to call off the quest and face facts that Gaea had won. Despair seemed to engulf her soul. How were they going to get out of this?

Suddenly, she seemed to snap herself out of her trance. This was not something a daughter of Bellona would feel. She was praetor of New Rome! If she broke, all hope was lost.

And that's when Laelap's ears perked up, and she let out a low growl.

Wazzup my peeps? The next chapter should be up in a few hours. I'm gonna get something to eat, and then I gotta get some homework done for today.

Need not worry though. You shall be able to enjoy more reading tonight. :)

Hope you all enjoyed this - as short as it was. There will be more though, I assure you ;)

Don't forget to comment and vote!

Love you all demigods! Thanks for reading!

And I will talk to you all later.

Until next time