Their coming!" yelled Grover, running up along side a twelve year-old girl with spiky black hair, punk clothes, and electric blue eyes.
They were being closely followed by a fourteen year-old boy with sandy hair and elfish features, and a seven year-old girl, with long shimmering blonde hair and gray eyes, which sparkled with fresh tears.
The four of them were running alongside a dirt road near the Long Island Sound.
Annabeth was breathing heavily, she would give out any moment. She collapsed. The others immediately stopped. Luke came over to her.
"Come on, Annabeth." said Luke, holding out his hand. "We've got to keep moving."
A loud shriek filled the air as an evil woman flew through the sky, with sharp talons and looked like an evil old woman, wearing a flamingo hat.
"A Kindly One!" cried Grover. He looked off into the distance and said, "We're almost there!"
"I'll carry you," said Luke, lifting Annabeth onto his back.
They continued to run for dear life. But they didn't get to far, when a cannibal giant ripped through the trees, and hurled a fire ball at them. Thalia rolled out of the way as the fire ball hit a nearby tree and set it on fire. She clicked her metal bracelets together and Aegis spiraled out of them. She raised up her shield in defense and the cannibal giant winced at the sight of the Gorgon's head modeled into the bronze.
She pulled out her spear and sent an arc of lightning flying at the monster and it burst into ashes.
"More will be coming," whimpered Annabeth.
"We have to get to the crest of that hill," said Grover, pointing toward a hill about a mile down the road. "Once I get you over the borders you'll be safe."
"Lets move it, goat boy!" said Thalia, leading the way toward the hill.
They sprinted up the road.
If that Cyclops hadn't held us up in Brooklyn, we would have been here by now. said Thalia, in her head.
This is all my fault! thought Grover. I'll never be able to search for Pan, if I don't get them to Camp Half-Blood.
"Hmm," whispered the Fury, flying above them. "Tasty little half-bloods!"
A hellhound, the size of mastiff jumped from the bushes at Luke and Annabeth. Luke did a surprising high kick to the beast's muzzle, knocking it backward.
"Oh Hades!" muttered Grover. "He's unleashed all of the monsters upon us!"
"Great!" said Luke.
"Why are they still chasing us?" cried Annabeth.
Thalia had a look of determination on her face.
The horde of monsters was soon upon them at last. Monsters of the most hideous kind: Laistrygonian giants, furies, hellhounds, and many more monstrous beasts. They growled and roared at the thought of three half-bloods and a satyr to eat for dinner.
A Fury flew down from the sky and without warning struck Thalia down with her sword. She would had killed her, if Aegis hadn't been raised in the defense. She the sword had cut her across the rib and she began to bleed. The Fury laughed in delight, until Luke raised up his sword and stabbed her through the chest and watched as she vanished like most monsters do.
They sprinted.
Thalia resealed her weapons and was holding her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
They were almost there...ten yards....twenty feet...ten feet...
The barking and snarling of the hellhounds was getting louder.
One foot left...and they raced up the hill, Grover in the lead.
"Come on!" he said, excitedly that they had reached their destination finally. "Just over the hill."
But the monsters were closing in from all sides now, cornering them. Soon, they would be overrun.
Thalia stopped.
Luke did too with Annabeth on his back.
Grover turned to look at her.
"Thalia, what are you doing?" he said, quickly. "Come on, I gotta get you to the other side."
Thalia looked over at them and turned to see the monsters approaching. She held her silver bracelet with one hand.
"Grover," she said, "take Annabeth and Luke."
"What do you mean?" said Luke, sharply.
"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Annabeth.
"Wish I could, kid, but I got something I gotta do." said Thalia, with a grin.
"Thalia, no," said Grover. "We've made it this far. All we have to do is---"
"No," she said, cutting across him. "I refuse to live like a hunted animal. If its a fight Hades wants, then its a fight he'll get."
The sky rumbled overhead with thunder.
"Take them," Thalia said, determination etched across her face.
Luke ran and embraced her. She was blushing and so was he, but Grover quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him.
"We gotta move!" said Grover, pulling Luke, while Annabeth choked back a sob.
Thalia turned to face the horde of monsters. The three Kindly Ones stood in front with smiles on their wicked faces.
"Ah," said one, "the little hero wants to fight to the end."
Thalia clicked her bracelet and un-capped her mace canister. As Aegis and her lightning spear appeared, the monsters seemed hesitant to attack. She turned around and saw Luke, Annabeth, and Grover had crossed over the other side of the hill and vanished. They were safe. That's all that mattered.
"Let me show you what a real child of Zeus can do," said Thalia, deadly, electricity sparkling around her bronze spearhead.
The monsters attacked.
Thalia was quick. She dodged the Kindly Ones first attack and slammed into a hellhound with Aegis. She did a spiraling kick to the face of a Fury and stabbed a giant through the stomach. But they were still coming and she kept fighting. She dipped, turned, flipped, and dodged attacks. She was tired and knew she wouldn't last much longer. That's when a giant grabbed her from behind and held her in a tight grip.
"No escapes now little girl," mused the monster.
"Your right," said Thalia, weakly. "But I still have one trick left up my sleeve."
"And what's that?" asked a Kindly One.
"This!" she screamed. She felt a twinge in her stomach and her whole body seemed to radiate with power. The giant felt it too because he released her, immediately and was waving his hands as though shocked. She continued to scream and the roar reached the heavens.
Zeus watched the scene, with the other Olympians.
"Poor child," said Athena, gravely.
"This is so horrible," sniffed Aphrodite, in a flowery hankerchief.
"She's your only daughter," said Poseidon, softly, with sadness in his green eyes.
Zeus looked angry as he watched Thalia fend off the monsters.
Thalia couldn't hold on anymore.
She looked up to the sky and a bolt of lightning zipped down through the clouds and struck Thalia's spearhead like a lightning rod. It sent a mighty wave down the hillside and vanquished all of the monsters who had made an attempt on her life. Her breathing was shaky and knew that soon death would come. Her spirit would dwindle to the Underworld, where she would have to face her uncle once again. ...
Dear Thalia, came Zeus's voice from the sky, you have fought so bravely, my child. To make amends to you, I shall spare your life from the Underworld. You have fought to save your friends and I can only reward that with peace.
Thalia hadn't heard a word he had said. She was about to take her last breath from exhaustion and when there was a flash of light and beautiful pine tree stood where Thalia had lain dying. The pine needles sparkled happily in the rising sun.
Luke, Annabeth, and Grover had looked around and saw the pine tree where Thalia had been standing just seconds before. They all had tears in their eyes.
"Come on you guys," said Grover, sniffing. "Lets get you two to the Big House."