This was a short story for an assignment I had to do. Hope you all enjoy!

Thalia Grace: Monster Hunter

The sun bore down on me, the heat was unbearable. Today was just smoking hot and I couldn't help but wonder if Apollo was punishing me for some reason. Possibly trying to give me heat stroke to get back at something Artemis did maybe? All options should be explored in my opinion.

I was currently patrolling the camp border, I like being a part of Artemis' hunt but border patrol was boring and tedious at times. Obviously keeping an eye open for monsters that want to kill you and eat you for dinner can hardly be seen as boring but there was always that one day out of five that really just stinks. When no monsters attack, boring, yet a relief. When the sun is boiling hot and could roast you into a cooked lamb, not cool or fun. And to make this day special, my sisters, my fellow hunters, pulled a prank on me. Not going into the details but it involved honey, feathers, a couple dozen arrows and string. Safe to say, I was not happy.

I found a shady spot to sit down under a tree and pulled a tennis ball from my pocket. Found it on the last hunt and it has really killed time for me. Though ironically, it can't kill time for me since I'm technically immortal. Half immortal to be exact, I can still be killed in combat. I bounced the ball up and down, I even had a go at a few tricks. They failed horribly and I had to move from my shady spot numerous times to fetch the tennis ball as it rolled away from me.

I even got my science face on and experimented with it. I steadily released a stream of electricity into the tennis ball and watched that fur stuff stand up on end. My tennis ball fun was interrupted when I heard a scream in the distance, sounds like a maiden in need of help.

I quickly got up and rushed towards the area where I heard the girl's scream. Sprinting past trees and foliage, I burst into a clearing to find a Cyclopes holding a boy upside down.

"Really? A boy? Just great, and here I thought a maiden was in trouble…" I grumbled to myself.

"Shut up puny demigod! The sounds you are making are disturbing." The Cyclopes groaned and the boy who couldn't be older than thirteen just trembled.

"HEY! Put him down ugly!" I shouted, the monster turned its attention to me.

"Another demigod? And a daughter of Zeus from that strong scent of yours. I am truly lucky, you can be my dinner while this... boy? Yeah, this boy can be my lunch." I can't deny, I almost burst out laughing, the Cyclopes was confused as to what gender that demigod really was. Don't blame him, he did have quite a set of lungs.

"Sorry punk, but I am no one's dinner." And I didn't even wait for the monster to answer back. I grabbed my two silver hunting knifes and charged the ten foot giant.
I launched through the air and went to stab the beast's eyeball but it was faster than I gave it credit for, I was knocked aside by a massive hand.

"So that is how dinner wants to play. Mum always told me not to play with my food but I guess today is an exception." It said and dropped the boy on the ground.

It had a massive club in one hand and ran towards me. I rolled to the side as the club smashed the ground where I had just been.

I slashed with one of my knifes and nicked the monster's hand. It growled in what could be considered slight discomfort, not pain. ADHD kicked in and I was jumping and rolling in all directions to avoid the club. This Cyclopes was faster than the rest and unfortunately, had a brain. He started to pick up my techniques on dodging his strikes. I went to roll out the way of another strike from his club when his fist came powering through the air and smashed into my chest. I flew across the clearing and smashed into a tree, sending bark and splinters all over the place.

Pain shot through my body, I was amazed and really lucky that I was alive. I must have some cracked or broken ribs. I quickly did an examination of my body and found that I did have two cracked ribs, my chest hurt to move. I pulled out a square of ambrosia from my pocket and nibbled on it. Strength returned to me and the pain in my chest faded away but I still had to be careful. The idiot Cyclopes came strutting over to me with a grin plastered on its face.

"I punched a spawn of Zeus, me! Terry the Cyclopes punched a daughter of Zeus. Been centuries since I tasted one of them." It would seem it was still missing a few brain cells as he went to pick me up.

As soon as he touched me, I sent volts of electricity into his body, causing him to have a spasm. Twirling the knifes in my hands, I pounced and stabbed its arm with a knife and cut its left hand clean off with the other. The clubbing hand. The weapon and hand fell to the ground and dust poured from the stump at the end of his arm. The monster roared in pain and began to shake wildly, I lost my grip and let go of the knife embedded in its arm and rolled from the fall.

I readied the last knife I had and the Cyclopes pulled my knife out and charged forward. It slashed left and right in a wild frenzy, roaring and cursing me for taking its hand. I blocked a strike and disarmed him and cut the other hand off. It bellowed in pain and raised both arms in the air, the ends were just stumps. I took my second knife from his decapitated hand.

Quickly lowering its head, it drove its horn into my leg and impaled it. I screamed as blood poured from my wound.

I felt a tug in my stomach and the air began to hum with energy. The skies darkened overhead and the Cyclopes removed its horn, causing me much pain. It looked up towards the heavens and I summoned a huge bolt of lightning, it came down from the sky and struck the Cyclopes in the head.

The crack and thunder of lightning was extremely loud, Like lightning going off a couple hundred metres away but instead right in your face. Thankfully being a daughter of Zeus helps out quite a bit, I didn't have a heart attack. The Cyclopes screamed in agony but it was cut shot as it disintegrated and turned to dust, the dust was blown away by the wind, its essence being carried back to Tartarus.

The skies returned to normal and I grabbed a flask of nectar and a square of ambrosia to help heal me. I began to patch up wounds when I noticed the boy standing before me, his eyes were ones filled with awe. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, spitting image of Apollo.

"That was wicked, here, let me help." He said and his hands glowed and he touched my arm. All scars started to fade away and I felt my bones repairing themselves. I fought back the urge to sock him in the face.

"Son of Apollo I'm guessing?" I asked and he gave me a nod, "Thought so, not many of his children have such impressive healing abilities."

"Thanks." He said with a smile, I kind of felt bad for him, he didn't know I was part of the Hunt, a man-hating group of females. Although I have a tolerance for Percy, my dim-witted cousin, so I can tolerate this kids presence for now, as long as he doesn't flirt with me. I'm not as bad as some of my fellow hunters who would just shoot boys on sight.

"Apollo, I need you right now. Please show up." I mentally prayed.

"Hold up, did Thalia just pray to me? And ask for my help? Are you feeling okay?" Apollo's voice teased in my head.

"Shut up and just hurry up already."

A flash of light appeared and a man with blonde hair and intense blue eyes stared at me. He wore a pair of swimming shorts and a rash top along with a pair of aviators. And on his feet, sandals. A plain brown towel was slung over his shoulder.

"What are you wearing?" I asked him.

"I was about to go for a swim, care to join me?" He grinned and flashed me a smile. I sent him a death glare in return. He visibly flinched under my gaze.

"Okay, calm down now. So what's up?" I gestured to the boy next to me. The god's eyes widened.

"Oh, I see… What happened?"

"I saved your son from a Cyclopes, you need to take him to Camp Half-Blood." I said to him.

He had a worried look on his face as he studied his son, "You didn't do any of your man-hating tricks or something on him did you?"

"No."

"Thank goodness. You can never be sure when your sister practically hates you and is leader to a cult of man-hating women. Which I have been meaning to say is very sexist and stereotypical, especially in today's society. Son, you are one lucky man." I shot him a glare.

"Leave Apollo, before I shoot an arrow in your face." I threatened, he paled and quickly flashed away with his son but not without a few parting words.

"You know I'm right and by the way, you look gorgeous today." I would have killed him right then and there if the coward hadn't run away. I'll tell Artemis to deal with him later.
I turned around, hoping to return back camp when I heard a roar not too far off. I got my bow out this time, be much easier to dispatch enemies with and I took off in the direction of the roar. This was going to be a long day.