This just popped into my head. I don't know why! :p
Jayson Kane's POV
Let me tell you, being a demigod is never easy. If I had a choice, I would rather have a normal life-watching television the entire day, hanging out with my friends, you know, living a normal life. But now, I guess all of that will just be a dream, a wish that I could never have.
It all began when I started to go to a new school called Westover Hall. It was like a military school, where you have to wear very uncomfortable, restricting uniforms, perform drills every single morning, and basically not have any fun the entire year. The teachers were a pain; they loved making us do tons of homework every night, and, just for fun, makes us do push-ups whenever we get an answer wrong in class. The only bright side to all of that was that I during first semester here, I met Bianca di Angelo. She was a girl whom I just can't get my mind off. She was very beautiful, although she keeps denying it every time I tell her. She was petite, had dark, silky hair, olive skin, and was a bit shy, but nice to everyone around her. She was also very responsible, seeing as how she takes care of that annoying little brat she call a brother. The moment we saw each other, I knew that we would be the closest of friends. And I was right. We knew everything about each other- she even knows me better that myself. No secrets were kept between us. Also, I learned that we had a lot in common. Both of our fathers had gone missing the day we were born. Our mothers practically gave us away, since we didn't even know what their names were. We both loved Greek mythology, especially the gods. We even have the same taste in ice cream. Anyway, it was the day before a dance that our school "provided." I was half-believing that this was just another scheme by Dr. Thorn, who was probably the scariest teacher that ever lived, to have an excuse to punish us severely for the rest of the semester.
"Kane!" I heard Dr. Thorn shout. "Over here."
I scrambled to get to him. If I didn't, he would just make me do push-ups with my knuckles until they bleed.
"Yes, sir." I tried to hide my annoyance, but it didn't work.
"Come with me."
We went to his office. Few students have ever been in there, and most that went in mysteriously disappeared after a few days. The good thing is, I wasn't alone. Two other people were also inside, sitting on a leather sofa, their heads bowed down. Nico and Bianca di Angelo.
I sat beside Bianca. I was a little relived to see her here, but a little worried too. Nobody was ever called in here that didn't break the rules. I guess Thorn finally learned that I was the one who broke his office's stained glass window.
"Hi Bianca." I whispered.
"Hey Jay." Her head still hung low, as if she was scared at looking at Thorn.
"What brought you here?" I asked, worried about her.
She leaned closer so that Thorn wouldn't hear us. Anyway, he was busy writing some stuff that I didn't care about, so hearing us would be impossible. "Nico called him some stuff that I don't want to repeat."
I chuckled. "Bianca, that kid is gonna be the end of you, I swear."
She punched me lightly on the arm. "Nico might hear you."
Unfortunately, Nico heard me. "What? He was shouting at Bianca, and I know how much you care about your girlfriend, Jay."
"Shut up." I said through gritted teeth.
He shrugged. "You're worse than Bianca."
Thorn finished what he was writing. He looked up at us. "You three know why you're here?"
We shook our heads.
He stood up. He paced around the room, thinking. Finally, he stopped in front of us after about a minute. You are… how am I going to put this? You three are going to be recruited."
They looked at him in disbelief. I, on the other hand, only got enraged. "What do you mean, we are gonna be recruited? Nico's 10! Bianca's 12! I'm just 13! Who in god's name would want to recruit us?"
He glared at me, as though he wants to kill me on the spot. "Tomorrow, children. After the party. Wait for me in the bleachers. Now GET OUT!"
And he literally threw us out of his office.
The Next Night…
I looked at myself in the mirror. In my dark jeans and blue green shirt, I thought I looked awesome.
As I entered the gym, what I saw completely overwhelmed me. The entire gym was covered in crepe paper streamers, balloons, and banners that said, "have a great party!"
I immediately went to find Bianca. I dodged a pack of girls by hiding behind the bleachers, which I learned later was probably the best thing I did. The guy behind me was given a complete makeover. He had pink and yellow ribbons in his hair, lipstick on his face, and eyeliner applied so thick that it made him look emo.
I saw her sitting with Nico in the bleachers, away from the party. She wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face, and Nico was holding a pack of cards, showing it to her sister like she was interested.
I dodged a balloon that was aimed at my face, probably from some guy who was bored out of his mind. As I went nearer, I noticed that Bianca and Nico were in the middle of an argument.
"-great, Bianca! We get to join the army!" said Nico.
"What's great about that? Think, Nico! We're just kids! Who would want to recruit us?" then she saw ma. "Tell him, Jay!"
"She's right, Nico." I said, not wanting to get on Bianca's bad side.
He sighed. "Of course she is. You would never go against your girlfriend."
I was really getting irritated with this kid. "She's not my girlfriend, you annoying-"
"Stop it. Both of you." Bianca huffed.
We fell silent. Then, I noticed something unusual. A kid who enrolled here just last month kept glancing at us, as though he were afraid that we would disappear or something . And he was not alone. Three people who I had never seen before, were talking to him. A boy, and two girls. The boy had sea green eyes and black hair, one of the girls had gray eyes and blonde hair, and the other girl had electric blue eyes and black hair just like the boy's. But the weird thing was, anyone who they encountered acted like they've been here their entire lives.
I leaned over to Bianca and asked, pointing to them, "Bianca, do you know those people?"
She shook her head. "No, I've never seen them before."
Just then, Dr. Thorn came to us. Grabbed all three of us by the scruff of our necks, and steered us outside.
"Halt," Thorn said. We stopped. There, we saw the boy with the sea green eyes from the dance standing in front of us, carrying a bronze sword. "Let them go!" he demanded.
Then, as fast as lightning, Dr. Thorn had him pinned to the wall by his coat and shirt by some kind of spike—a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long. It had grazed the skin of his shoulder and it passed through his clothes. It must've hurt.
A dark silhouette now moved toward him. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. The boy tried to swing his sword again, but Dr. Thorn was just out of reach.
WHIIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn, but he didn't even move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing spikes.
Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from the boy's face.
"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."
He made us walk outside.
Then the boy closed his eyes.
"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"
It's my shoulder," he said, sounding miserable, but I could tell he was lying. "It burns."
"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"
Thorn inarched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. The boy winced. I could tell he was in no position to fight.
Dr. Thorn pushed us toward the edge. I stumbled, but Bianca caught me.
"Thanks," I murmured.
"What is he?" she whispered to the boy. "How do we fight him?"
"I… I'm working on it." The boy said.
"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something—a little metal toy soldier that was part of his game.
"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"
We all turned.
Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first I thought it was a knife and he was going to kill us, but it was only a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."
There was a garbled reply, and I realized Thorn was using a walkie-talkie, not a phone.
I glanced behind me. There was no way for us to run, since the only behind us down.
The boy looked behind him, as though he was thinking the same thing.
Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."
"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.
"I'll explain later," he said.
"You do have a plan, right?" I asked.
"If we survive the fall, I could use the water to protect us. I'd done things like that before. If my dad was in a good mood, and listening, he might help. Maybe." He said.
"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said, and launched another spike that missed my head by an inch.
"You do not realize who I am, do you?"
A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to the boy that it nicked his ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible… almost like a tail.
"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead." Then he looked at me. "As for you, I have strict orders not to bring you harm, little boy."
"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get us to come with you, you're wrong. We don't have any family but each other." She looked at me, and that's when I realized that we were already holding hands.
"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."
"Luke," the boy said. "You work for Luke."
"You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."
"The General?" the boy, who I guess is Percy, asked. Then I realized he'd said it with a French accent. "I mean… who's the General?"
Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."
We turned and saw a light in the distance, like a searchlight over the sea. Then I heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.
"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.
"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."
"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"
"Shove it up your ass." I finished for him.
"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well… there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."
"The Great what?" I asked. Anything to keep him talking while Percy tried to figure out a plan.
"The stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"
"Okay," Bianca whispered to me. "He's completely nuts."
"We have to jump off the cliff," Percy told us quietly. "Into the sea."
"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."
Percy never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force knocked him down.
Then, all hell broke loose.
The girl with black hair and punk style appeared before us, and tapped her bracelet, which transformed into a shield with the head of medusa in the middle. What was it called? Aegis, I think.
Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.
The girl moved in with her spear, which I swear was a mace can just moments ago. "For Zeus!"
I thought Dr. Thorn was a dead man. The girl jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside.
His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against the girl's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, the girl would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, she managed to roll backward and land on her feet.
The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind us, but I didn't dare look. I was too paralyzed with fear.
Dr. Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Percy, and this time I could see how he did it. He had a tail—a leathery, scorpionlike tail that bristled with spikes at the tip.
The girl ran to him and deflected the missiles off with Aegis, but the force of the impact knocked them both down.
The kid with crutchessuddenly sprang forward. He put some kind of flute- a reed pipe, I think, to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.
Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.
"A manticore!" the girl with blonde hair said, now visible. A New York Yankees cap fall to the ground.
"Who are you people?" Bianca demanded. "And what is that?"
"Annabeth just told you, it's a manticore." Percy grumbled.
"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"
"Shut up, Nico!" I shouted.
Nico narrowed his eyes, but he was too embarrassed to give a proper glare.
"Get down!" The girl, who I guessed was Annabeth, pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow. At the last second, I remembered to duck. Five spikes sailed past my head.
I heard a thwack and a yelp, and Percy landed next to me with a thud.
"Yield!" the monster roared.
"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged the monster, and for a second, I thought she would run him through. But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets.
The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction. Then, the manticore turned to Bianca, and launched spikes that would impale her on her chest.
"No!" I ran out to help her. I moved in front of her, protecting her from all the spikes. Searing pain erupted in my gut, and I guessed that that was where the spike hit me.
"Jayson!" Bianca yelled, and ran over to help me.
Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."
We were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. We had no chance.
Then, before I passed out, I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.
Bianca's POV
Jayson. He took those spokes for me. Why?
The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades.
"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"
His sentence was cut short when something pierced him. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.
He staggered backward, wailing in agony.
"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two.
The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. I tried to swipe at him with my sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged my attack and slammed his tail into my shield, knocking me aside.
Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The oldest, about fourteen, and the youngest, twelve, like me.
They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.
"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.
One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess.
"Permission to kill, my lady?" she asked.
The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."
"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her expression was stern and dangerous.
"The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."
The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"
He lunged at me, knowing we were weak and dazed.
"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.
"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"
But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.
"Fire!" Zoe ordered.
"No!" I screamed.
But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"
And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.
I couldn't believe my eyes. Annabeth had just sacrificed herself to save us.
The Hunters advanced on us.
The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste, or possibly disgust, eminent in her voice
"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."
Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Five half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."
"Yes," theauburn-haired girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."
I tried to struggle to my feet, my knees wobbled and I fell down. Good thing Thalia caught me before I fell.
"Whoa, easy there.," she said.
I shook her off. "Jayson! You have to help him!"
The auburn-haired girl thought for a moment, before waving her hand. The spikes that hit Jayson suddenly disappeared, and his wounds started to heal.
Thalia glared at them. "I thought you hated men. Why would you do that yourself?"
I was thinking, I don't care, as long as he's safe.
"He has a good heart. And he is not like any man I've ever met before. Brave, and selfless."
"Hey!" said Percy.
I stepped forward. "Thanks for saving him. Who are you?"
The auburn haired girl looked at me right in the eyes. Then I knew the answer, even before she told me.
"I am Artemis. Goddess of the hunt."
If you've ever read the Kane Chronicles( which is a really good book by the way), then here's a bit of a spoiler for Jayson for future chapters to come! XD
Jayson is a magician.
He has Blood of the Pharaohs.
He was separated from his siblings at birth.
His Surname is Kane, so if you read the books you will know who are his siblings(or half-siblings)…LOL!
The Title of this story is Demititan…so…guess!
Anyways….READ AND REVIEW!
