I jogged down the halls my 3 foot Greek sword in hand. The hall was empty deserted and at a time like this I couldn't help but think it was odd Victoria wasn't at my side. I shook my head and tried to concentrate on the two little kids that needed my help. I got to the end and entered the room. Thorn wasn't there maybe he fled sensing my sword. But there frozen in place staring at me were the di Angelo kids. I lowered the tip of my sword and advanced slowly to them "I'm Percy" I started "I'm not gonna hurt you I'm going to take you somewhere safe" I promised as they looked at me terrified. Only to late did I realize what Bianca's eyes were telling me. They weren't scared of me. They were warning me. I swished around and a burning sensation hit my shoulder. "Yes Perseus Jackson" Thorn said in his thick French accent annoying the crap outta me. "I know who you are" he said I tried to lunge but a thorn had me lodged to the wall it grazed my skin and I knew the pain....poison. "Walk" he sneered. I glanced the the di Angelos and followed Thorn in hopes of coming up with a plan.
"Walk faster!" Thorn shouted "Uh duh...my shoulder it burns" I tried to act miserable which wasn't to hard "Nonsense my thorns cause pain it will not kill you" he herded us towards the cliff and woods and I panicked. I tried to picture Grover's face and think fear, death, HELP. Last year Grover made an empathy link between us, Victoria and Victoria's two little brothers, Mason and James. What sucked is I wasn't connected to the Apollo kids Grover was. I wasn't even sure if this empathy thing worked when Grover was awake this...was a long shot.
"There is a clearing ahead... I will summon your ride" he said walking us towards the woods "What ride! Where are you taking us!" Bianca demanded "Silence you insuffurable girl!" he shouted "Hey..don't talk to my sister like that" Nico shouted voice shaky but I'm suprised he was able to say anything at all. The woods opened up to a clearing and a ciff overlooking the sea or at least I sensed the sea. He pushed us towards the sea and I stumbled but Bianca caught me. "Thanks" I mumbled "What is he?" Bianca asked "I'm scared" Nico mumbled "Stop talking and face me!" Thorn screeched we turned and he removed something from his jacket at first I thought it was a switchblade but it was just a cell phone. "The package it is ready" He mumbled a garbled response came and I realized he was in walkie talkie mode. I shuddered it was so modern it was creepy. I glanced back and tried to see how far the drop was. "By all means Son of Poseidon jump" Thorn chuckled "What did he call you?" Bianca muttered
"I'll explain later"
"You have a plan right?
"I'll kill you before you even reach the sea. You do realize who I am don't you" Thorn mused.
A flicker of movement behind Thorn shot a thorn at me whizzing past my face. Almost like a catapult but more flexible like a tail.
"But you are wanted alive other wise you would be dead" Thorn explains "Who wants us! If your looking for a ransom it won't happen! Nico and I we're all we have!" Bianca shouted. "Aw no worries soon you will meet my employer and you will have a new family" Thorn chuckles. "You work for Luke?" I asked. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste at the name of my enemy. An old friend who tried to kill me several times and tried to kidnap my girlfriend to marry her. "The general will enlighten you tonight you idiot" Thorn neered "The General" Then I realized I had used a french accent "I mean...who's the General?" I asked but he looked towards the horizon where a helicopter was getting closer. "Ah your transportation it is near" He mused "Where are you taking us!" Nico shouted "You should be honored boy you will join an army! Just like your silly game with cards and dolls" Thorn said "They're not doll they're figurines! And you can take your army and stick it..." he started but Bianca gave him a warning glance. I stared at the boy. He reminded me of Victoria and how geeky she is deep down that with being obsessed with The Legend of Zelda. And how when she's angry she'll spit out insults and how she sticks up for her siblings like Nico did earlier. "You will change your mind soon enough... if not there are other uses for half-bloods we have plenty of monsters to feed that with The Great Stirring under way" Thorn said "Stirring? Whats that" I asked anything to keep him talking. "Monsters some that haven't been seen in thousands of years are awaking! And soon we will have the one to bring down Olympus!" he shouted
"Ok he's nuts" Bianca muttered
"You have to jump into the sea with me" I decided
"Ok your nuts"
But before I had a chance to argue something invisible knocked straight into me.
Looking back at it Annabeth's move was brilliant wearing her cap of invisibilty. Thorn was so shocked all his missles missed.
If you've ever seen Victoria run into battle I assure you...you've never seen anything more graceful. She leaps high in the air, jumps on anything high like trees and does flips in the air while shooting golden arrows! Bianca and Nico stared at her in awe as she rapidly shot arrows so fast you could only see golden flashes. And then there was Thalia who had her giant spear and Aeigis her shield which has an image of Medusa melted into the bronze. It won't turn you into stone but it's so terrifying some people will run in horror. Even Thorn winced when he saw it. I watched as Thalia fought Thorn and he slowly changed into a...cat? But then i turned to Victoria who was on her knees at eye level with Nico. I backed up and stood by Victoria "It'll be alright ok" she assured hugging him. He blushed and melted into the hug "I'll protect you and so will Percy over...here" she corrected when she saw me. She hugged me tightly then kissed me. Her soft silky lips moved in sync with my chapped lips. "Eck" Nico grumbled "You idiot" she muttered when she pulled away and she pressed her pale forehead to mine "I would lose it if you were gone" she whispered her voice cracking "But I'm not" I reminded her "Don't leave like that Percy!" she cried hugging me again "Can you just go do something cool?" Nico asked impatiently before I could respond Victoria placed her hand under my coat on the poisoned gash I shut my eyes. Victoria had never healed me but I've seen her siblings and her do it. The flesh slowly grows back and it's discusting and it's always seemed painful. But I felt the burning stop and then nothing I stared at her and before i could say how suprisingly easy that is she took off into a sprint dodging the thorns and shooting arrows in response. Thorn's paw clawed at Aeigis but it only caused sparks. He roared in anger as Victoria's never ending arrows struck his orange fur. Grover pulled out his reed pipes and started to play a frantic jig like something pirates would dance to. And grass sstarted to sprout and vines coiled around Thorn's legs. Thorn angered started to take his true form. A humans face but with a massive lion's body his leathery tail launched spikes everywhere.
"A manticore!" Annabeth cried now visible since her magical Yankee's cap fell off when she plowed into us.
"Who are you people?! And what is that?!" Bianca demanded to know obviously frustrated. Heck I would be to. If a weird boy asked them to jump into the sea with him. A blonde girl shot arrows and leaped like a ballerina and another blonde girl rammed into us while invisible. A scary looking girl ran around with a terrifying shield and spear. And a goat boy started to play a horrible song. All while fighting some creeper.
"A manticore! He's got three thousand attack powers plus 5 extra for saving throws." Nico gasped. I had no idea what the Hades he was talking about but I didn't care the manticore ripped Grover's magic weeds to shreds and turned to us "Get down" Victoria commanded jumping in front of the di Angelo's and pushing them to the ground while shooting arrows like rapid fire. "Why do you care so much for us?" Bianca demanded staring at Victoria's sad stormy blue eyes. Victoria just stared back "Stay" she said simply turning to me "Percy!" she shouted I turned around and quickly pressed a wrist watch and my shield a gift from my baby brother spiraled out. The thorns dented my shield and I knew it wouldn't be able to handel another volley of thorns.
I heard a thwak and a yelp and Grover was laying next to me. "Yield!" Thorn demanded "Never!" Thalia shouted running towards him. I thought she would run right through him but there ws flash and sleek helicopter was behind us. It was a military heli with guns and it had to be runned by mortals but what were they doing here? The manticire swatted Thalia with his tail sendingher flying her weapons in different directions."No!" I shouted hitting a thorn with my sword before it could hit Thalia's chest. I put my shield in front of us but I knew it was usless. Then a sharp sound came from the woods. A hunting horn.
For a moment no one moved. The only thing that was heard was the swirling snow and chopping helicopter blades. A silvery bow was shot it looked exactly like tha Apollo kids arrows back home but silver like the moon. It stabbed the manticore's shoulder and he yelped in pain I tried to stab him with my sword but he wasn't as weak as he seemed and he slapped me back. The archers emerged and they were all girls around twelve wearing silver parkas and jeans "The hunters" Victoria says looking for someone in the group "Ohh joy" Thalia muttered. THe youngest was maybe 10 and the oldest 17 like me. The oldest had a silver circlet in her dark hiar and she had coppery skin she was breath taking like some sort of Persian Princess. "Uh Percy" Victoria grumbles hitting the back of my head. I stop staring when I realize the depression in her eyes was taken over by jealousy and anger. "Permission to kill?" The girl asked "No direct interferance it's against The Ancient Laws" The manticore cried "Actually killing all wild bests is within my sphere" A younger girl maybe 15 said she was also breath taking with a stern face, yellow silver eyes like the moon and auburn hair pulled into a ponytail. "Zoë permission granted" she decides "No if I can't have them alive I'll have them dead" The manticore announces turning to Bianca, Nico and me. "NO!" Victoria cries jumping on his back stabbing him deeply with an arrow. He growled in pain as Victoria stabbed him over and over again.
"Fire!" Zoë commanded
"No!' I screamed
But they let their arrows fly hitting the manticore's arms legs and neck "This isn't over Huntress" He growled and before anybody could react he jumped off the edge of the cliff and into the darkness. I screamed and scrambled to the edge vision blury with tears "NO Victoria!" I shouted her name over and over again as though it would bring back Victoria. "Percy come on" Grover said trying to pull me back tears coming down his own face "No!" I shouted "let me go! Let me die!" I shouted before I realized before I was saying "Percy I can't imagine the pain your feeling but you can't give your life" Thalia murmured "Try me" I said shakily bringing my sword to my throat. Everyone was watching Annabeth, Grover and Thalia trying to calmly convince me to put it down. "He's mad" I heard the hunters murmur "STOP!" Nico shouted "That girl...Victoria she seemed really nice I don't think she'd want you to kill yourself for her" Nico decided I dropped my sword knowing he was right. "5 half-bloods and a satyr" Zoë said "Zoë Nightshade" Thalia grumbled in hate "You have to let me go" I shouted "You are in no condition to be jumping off cliffs and there is no help for your friend" the girl with moon eyes said for a second she looked hurt Victoria was gone almost like she knew her. "My GIRLFRIEND could still be alive I need to go! Who do you think you are!" I shouted. The Zoë girl stepped foward almost like she wanted to slap my face "Stop he is dazed and depressed. Percy Jackson I know you are hurt so am I she is of course my favorite niece...my twin's favorite daughter. I am Artemis goddess of the hunt"