Annabeth P.O.V.
I was ecstatic and fidgety. Percy was picking me up for a movie and I kept changing what I wore. I usually wasn't the type of girl who liked clothes, but I couldn't concentrate on one thing. I tried reading the Iliad then making a model of the Eiffel Tower. Nothing could sustain my interest for more than a few minutes. Finally I settled on a loose silver blouse and purple jeans. I stuck my dagger in a messenger bag and sat down with an architecture book, forcing myself to calm down before I have a heart attack. When the doorbell finally rang, I nearly flew to open it. I straightened my hair and calmed my breath before cocking an eyebrow and greeting Percy with a half-smile.
"You're late." I said with a mock annoyed tone.
Percy smiled, "I have an explanation, I swear." He held out his arm and waved the other to the elevators on my floor, "Come along, Chase."
I drew my eyebrows together mockingly but took his invitation. He led me out of the mini-hotel I was staying in and into a cab, that was resting idly in front of the Crown's Hotel. I had a week off of school because my school had failed its city inspection and needed to have some renovations before they were allowed to continue classes, so I booked a last minute flight to New York. I had already visited camp for three days when Percy invited me on a mystery date.
He told the driver to drive to the place he had mentioned before, and we started off. No matter how much I asked, he would not divulge any clue as to where we were going, except that it wasn't a movie. He wasn't dressed all fancy, just blue jeans and a camp shirt and a backpack, so it wasn't somewhere formal. I gave him my expert death glare, but he just smiled and pointed at the window. I followed his angle and saw Central Park. Percy paid the driver and hopped out of the car.
"Pic-nic, anyone?"
"That really happened?" I laughed, covering my mouth before I started to snort. Percy smiled and nodded his head emphatically.
"Why is it so surprising that my mom got a call from the principle? Kids in my class found a padlock on a locker and they were all trying to pick it. The bell rang and then we had to go to class. I needed a book from my locker and passed the lock, so I thought 'why not?' I started picking it and the—the principle came up right behind me." He was chuckling as he told the story which made me laugh harder. He had told me all of his school stories, which were in great abundance and extremely entertaining.
Percy was lying on his side on the blanket we had set out. The sun shown perfectly through his dark hair. I smiled brilliantly at him and leaned closer, parting my lips and meeting with his halfway. I pulled back first and grinned at the sky, flopping on my back. We rested in silence for a few minutes, breathing in the quiet.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked.
"I'm trying to decide whether this was better than a movie." I pursed my lips. "I think the movie won.
He mocked hurt and jumped to his feet, snatching his backpack up at the same time, "For that, Wise Girl, you don't get any desert. And I want you to know that you will be missing blue cheesecake."
I faked my own offense, jumping to my feet and putting my hands on my hips. "And what is to stop me from taking the cake? I do have a knife and I know how to use it."
He eyed me cautiously. "Is it on you right now?"
"In my bag-"
He smiled deviously and grabbed my wrists, throwing me over his shoulder in a split second. I screamed in surprise and kicked my legs. Pedestrians glanced over, either slightly irked or amused.
"Perseus Jackson, you better put me down right now!"
He snickered and began to walk towards the pond, but I yelled, "don't you dare leave my bag to be stolen!"
Percy sighed but complied by kicking my bag up to his hand and set me down carefully. That was followed by me punching him the arm, which hurt me more than his feigned, delayed response. He held out his hand, and I took it. He tugged me close, wrapping his arms around my waist. Almost closing my eyes, I noticed shadows flickering behind Percy. I pulled away and looked closer, squinting my eyes towards the trees.
Something shifted behind a couple of trees and rocks, displacing the grey shadows with something darker. I nudged Percy and indicated the movement. He followed my gaze and froze.
"Pass me my bag," I hissed under my breath. Haltingly and discreetly, he slipped me my bag, out of which I drew my dagger. The movement was noticed by the beast, and it slipped out from behind the bush.
The thing growled and slunk forward, its leopard tail swinging back and forth lazily. Its head, that of a lizard or snake, was constantly moving and glaring us down. The body was a large cat probably a leopard like its tail. I dropped my bag and raised my dagger threateningly, Percy drawing Riptide. The beast titled its head curiously and hissed with its tongue flicking in and out. It moved like a predator stalking its prey.
Mortals noticed the beast and the two teenagers with what could possibly have been weapons and screamed, running in the opposite direction of the monster.
"Annabeth, lappet formation."
I made no indication I heard Percy but kept my eyes on the beast. I had never seen the thing before, not in any of my books on Greek mythology. I had no idea what its weaknesses were or anything. Maybe a knife through the heart, and I was willing to try. I moved one foot over the other and slowly circled the beast. Percy circled the other way. The beast didn't know which of us to watch so it snapped back to each of us every few seconds.
Percy struck first. He lashed out with Riptide intending to slice its neck, but the blade was deflected harshly. The beast turned on Percy, and I charged it and jumped onto its back. It bucked and whipped its tail at me, but I held fast and dug my dagger into its side right where the scales began. The blade slid in with resistance, and the beast shook more violently. I was dethroned violently, dagger in hand, and thrown straight at a large oak tree. Before I struck, I heard Percy yell my name.
I woke to a loud groan beside me. My shoulder hurt but I ignored the pain and sat up. I didn't recognize where we were. I may have had a concussion but I was positive we weren't in a full blown forest before. Percy groaned again beside me. He was waking up, dazed, cloudy eyes open. As he gained consciousness entirely, he gasped and clutched his back. The middle of his back.
"Percy!" I flew to my knees and pushed him onto his side, mind in a state of white panic. I sighed as I ran my hand over his unscathed back.
"I'm fine," he groaned. "The thing hit me on my back with its Δεκάρα tail." He shook himself and rolled to his feet, hauling me to my feet as well. "And I dropped Riptide."
I rubbed his shoulder and took in my surroundings.
"Is this like a special Central Park forest?"
Percy half smiled and took a deep breath. "We're no where near New York. Or any big city for that matter."
I took a breath too and apprehended the difference in the air. It was clear and filled with the aroma of pine and fresh rain. "I've no idea where we are or what kind of creature that beast was. I've never seen it in my studies before." I slammed my hand into a nearby tree and swore. "We need to find someone, any kind of indication of where we are." I looked at my watch. The hands had stopped moving.
"Wise girl, calm down. We've faced worse and we've always won. A simple teleport isn't gonna kill us."
Despite my doubts, I found myself smiling, taking in my surroundings for any sort of indication of where we were. We were in a clearing, soft, green grass spread across the ground like a sea. On either side were hills, the left much steeper than the right. Tall oak and pine trees dotted the valley, full leaves hanging from the branches. Maybe it was Spring here, I mused. I couldn't here any sound of machinery, just the tranquil chirps of birds and the occasional animal call. The air was crisp and fresh, very unlike the city I had just been in. It was more like the Californian countryside, where farms and vineyards ruled the land. The sun loomed brightly in the center of the sky—midday.
I heard Percy shuffling around behind me and turned to see him pick up a stick. He grinned at me, chuckling silently as he smothered leaves and dirt on one end. He silenced my unasked question and threw the stick in the air, its painted tip landing towards the left embankment.
"I say we go that way."
I stared at him, not believing his logic. "You want us to climb up that steep cliff because you threw a stick?" I demanded incredulously.
"Hey, the way I see it, the fates made the stick fall that way. Now come on, I don't want to sleep in the woods." Without waiting for my reply, he trudged ahead and began hiking up the hill.
"Unbelievable!" I cried.
"You coming?" He called from halfway up the slope.
I growled in frustration and moodily trudged up to the base. I had only made it five steps when I found a wet patch and slid back down bottom.
"Careful!" Percy yelled. "It's a little wet."
We walked for hours at least. The shoes I had worn were not meant for vigorous hiking through rough terrain. The ridge we walked along gave out beneath our feet and roots reached out to trip us purposefully. The trees themselves were giants, soldiers guarding the ancient forest spirits. We tried contact ing the nymphs that resided within the bark, but they were spiritless. The trees must have been ancient judging how tall they were.
After four and a half hours of walking, Percy threw his stick in the air again, the tip landing to the west, where the sun was slowly ambling towards. I resignedly followed Percy's stupid stick. I had no other idea, and his was at least leading us somewhere.
We changed our direction to west, which was of course up another slope; however, the gradient was not at all steep. We had walked for half hour before we heard it: the clash of weapons. Percy and I exchanged glances and together ran the rest of the way up the hill, stopping to crouch behind a tree root.
The scene that fell before us was unbelievable. A dirt road that stretched from north to south, horses neighing and scattering from the carnage. Men in capes and chain mail defended themselves from men in ripped cloth and clothing made from the fur of wolves. The red knights were holding their own pretty well, everyone except for a man in a red jacket and blue neckerchief, who was defending himself with a pan.
We watched as he fought wildly, sending one large opponent flying into the man's allies. He was doing well until he fell on a root, his weapon flying out of his grasp. Percy sucked in a breath, his character unable to sit by and let someone get hurt, and before I could stop him, he leapt out from behind the tree.
Despite my sinking suspicion of where we were, or more accurately when we were, I joined the fray behind him.
"Careful! You could hurt someone with that thing!" Percy was easily taking care of the attacker with his annoyingly obnoxious comments. I tugged the man to his feet and pulled him behind me, ignoring his surprised expression.
"Percy, behind you!"