Heyyy! I'm back with chapter two! This is a shorter chapter, but there was a cliffhanger I couldn't resist...
Also I, obviously, do not own HoO or Ranger's Apprentice. If I did, I'd be a millionaire, which I'm not. What would even give you that idea...? I'm a teenage girl, not a middle aged man.
Review replies:
Ranger(Guest): Wow! Thanks for the advice! I assure you, at least, in my opinion, this chapter has way more of my own spin than the last one. And no, I decided not to put Jason and Camp Jupiter in the story. To you Romans out there: sorry, but I'd need some chart or something telling who went where and did what. But I really liked getting this review, because it said what I did good and had some questions for me.
Venom(Guest): I definitely like your review the least. Unlike the other review, which had some constructive criticism, this was all flame. Well, Caleo is not one of my favorite ships, so not my main concern(though I could do this thing called a non-hetero ship, I mean, those exist!), and the Romans only mentioned in the prophecy as "foes", and the line is "foes bare arms to the doors of death" and, in my opinion, aren't that instrumental in Gaea's defeat. Also, the Athena kids only have smarts, wisdom, strategic knowledge, etc. Some might call that lame, I mean, they have no physical powers. But still they were instrumental in all three wars. Some of the Apollo kids might only really be a good archery shot. But they were still instrumental in all three wars. (*cough* Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew *cough*) Please don't flame people when you have no idea what they're going through(or Don't flame people at all). Also, don't read the story if you don't like it.
LibraryEnchantress: Thank you!
Sooo yeah! Enjoy!
—Alex
WILL
The storm churned into a miniature hurricane. Funnel clouds slithered toward the balcony like snakes. Kids screamed and ran for the building. The wind snatched away anything that was only loosely connected to anything. I skidded across the slick floor.
Leo lost her balance and almost toppled over the railing, but I grabbed her cloak and pulled her back.
"Thanks, man!" She yelled.
"Go, go, go!" Coach Hedge directed.
Piper and Dylan were holding the doors open, herding the other kids inside. Piper's cloak was flapping wildly, her dark hair all in her face. I thought she must've been freezing, but she looked calm and confident—telling the others it'd be okay, encouraging them to keep moving.
Leo, Coach Hedge, and I were running towards them, but it was like running through quicksand. The wind seemed to fight us, pushing us back.
Dylan and Piper pushed one more kid inside, then lost their grip on the doors. They slammed shut, closing off the balcony from the building.
Piper tugged at the handles. Inside, the kids pounded on the doors, but the doors seemed to be stuck.
"Dylan, help!" Piper shouted.
Dylan just stood there with an idiotic grin, his shirt flapping crazily in the wind, like he was suddenly enjoying the storm.
"Sorry, Piper," he said. "I'm done helping."
He flicked his wrist, and Piper flew backward, slamming into the doors and sliding to the deck.
"Piper!" I tried to charge forward, but the wind was against me, and Coach Hedge pushed me back.
"Coach, let me go!"
"Will, Leo, stay behind me," The coach ordered. "This is my fight. I should've known that was our monster."
"What?" Leo demanded. A rogue worksheet slapped her in the face, but she just swatted it away. "What monster?"
The coach's head covering flew off, and sticking up above his hair were to curly bumps. He lifted his bat—although it wasn't a bat anymore. Somehow it had changed into a crudely shaped tree branch club, with leaves and twigs still attached.
Dylan gave him that crazy happy smile. "Oh, come on, Coach. Let the boy attack me! After all, you're getting too old for this. Isn't that why they retired you to this stupid school? I've been on your team this entire season, and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose, grandpa."
The coach made an angry sound like an animal bleating. "That's it, cupcake. You're going down."
"You think you can protect three half-bloods at once, old man?" Dylan laughed. "Good luck."
Dylan pointed at Piper, and a funnel cloud materialized around her. Piper flew off the balcony like she'd been tossed. Somehow she managed to twist in midair, and slammed sideways into the canyon wall. She skidded, clawing furiously for any handhold. Finally she grabbed a thin ledge about fifteen meters below the balcony and hung there by her fingertips.
Dylan flicked his hand again, and Leo slammed into the wall.
"Help!" Piper yelled up at us. "Rope, please? Bungee cord? Something?"
Coach Hedge cursed and tossed me his club. "I don't know who you are, kid, but I hope you're good. Keep that thing busy"—he stabbed a thumb at Dylan—"while I get Piper."
"Get her how?" I asked. "You going to fly?"
"Not fly. Climb." Hedge kicked off his shoes, and I almost fainted. The coach didn't have any feet. He had hooves—goat's hooves.
Hedge leaped over the railing. He sailed towards the canyon wall and hit hooves first. He bounded down the cliff with impossible agility, finding footholds no bigger than feathers, dodging whirlwinds that tried to attack him as he made his way toward Piper.
"Isn't that cute!" Dylan turned towards me. "Now it's your turn, boy."
I threw the club. It seemed useless with the winds so strong, but the club flew right at Dylan, even curving when he tried to dodge, and smacked him so hard on the head he fell to his knees.
Leo wasn't as dazed as she appeared. Her fingers curled around the club as it rolled next to her, but before she could use it, Dylan rose. Blood—golden blood—trickled from his forehead.
"Nice try, boy." He glared at me. "But you'll have to do better."
The balcony shuddered. Hairline fractures appeared in the glass. Inside the building, kids stopped banging on the doors. They backed away, watching in terror.
Dylan's body dissolved into smoke, as if he was coming unglued. He had the same face, same unnaturally white smile, but his whole form suddenly composed of swirling black vapor, his eyes like lightning in a thunderstorm. He sprouted smoky black wings and rose above us. If angels could be evil, I thought, they would look exactly like this.
"Wh-who are you?"
Dylan's laugh sounded like a tornado tearing up a roof. "I'm glad I waited, demigod. Leo and Piper I've known about for weeks. Could've killed them at any time. But my mistress said a third was coming—someone special. She'll reward me greatly for your death!"
Two more funnel clouds touched down on either side of Dylan and turned into ghostly young men with smoky wings and eyes that flickered with lightning.
Leo stayed down, pretending to be dazed, her hand still gripping the club. Her face was pale, but she gave me a determined look, and I understood the message: Keep their attention. I'll whack him from behind.
Letting instinct take over, I shed my cloak, revealing a quiver of arrows and a recurve bow. I unslung the bow, and loaded it with an arrow.
Dylan raised his hand, like he was about to long-distance slap me, but I drew the arrow back full draw.
"Ah, ah, ah." I warned him. "If you move in a way I don't like, this arrow's going to plant itself in your forehead. And some say I'm a pretty good shot." The pain between my was was excruciating, but I kept a straight face. There's no worse idea than letting an enemy—of whom you're holding at arrow-point—know that you're in pain.
Dylan stopped, fury written clearly on his face. But, he lowered his hand.
"Now, go back from where you came from." I warned him in a low tone.
"Not a chance, demigod." Dylan snarled. He snapped his fingers. "Kill him!"
The other two storm spirits started to advance on me. Well, they attempted to. But, before the right one even started walking—floating, whatever—I let my arrow loose, and the arrow embedded itself into the spirit's forehead. Moments later, a second grey-shafted arrow embedded itself in the other spirit's skull. They both dissolved into golden dust.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Coach Hedge climbing the cliff with Piper on his back.
Dylan kept looking at the piles of gold dust that his comrades turned into, like he expected them to reform, but the wind scattered the gold dust everywhere.
"Now, Dylan, it's your turn." I picked and drew an arrow, but it never left my bow. Dylan bent down behind him and picked up a struggling Leo.
"No, you naïve demigod. Drop the bow, or the girl will be electrocuted."
The bow. Dylan hadn't mentioned either of the knives on my waist. "Alright, alright," I conceded. "Just don't hurt her." I slowly set the bow and my quiver of arrows on the glass.
Dylan grinned maniacally. What he didn't see, though, was the flying kick the goat-man sent him. Dylan released his grip on Leo, but he still stood—or did he float?—tall.
The storm exploded, and a black and silver hole opened in the clouds.
"My mistress calls me back!" Dylan cried. "And you, archer, are coming with me!" He lunged for me, but I rolled to the side and jumped on his back. I know, I know. Not the best idea to jump on the back of the evil spirit who wants to kidnap you. But I had my ultra-sharp knives. And one was against Dylan's throat.
The spirit screamed with rage. A torrent of wind hit me like a cannonball. I flew off of Dylan's back, who, sadly, still had his head. The coach and I landed on our butts. Piper hit her head, which looked pretty bad. Too many head injuries couldn't be good…
A scream grabbed my attention. Leo was blown back over the railing, and was hanging on by her fingertips.
Dylan scowled. "I was going to settle for the boy, but you'll do, satyr!" Dylan whirled around and grabbed Coach Hedge. The coach released a series of kicks, punches, head butts, and called the evil spirit a cupcake, but Dylan held fast. They rose into the air, quickly gaining speed.
"Save her!" The coach called down, his voice getting fainter. "I got this!" Then both the coach and spirit were pulled into the hole. I wasted no time.
I dashed to the railing, where Leo was holding on with only one hand.
I grabbed her wrist, but her palm was sweaty from the metal railing. Her hand was slipping through mine rapidly.
"Will!" Leo cried. I saw the fear in her eyes. Then, her hand slipped away, and she fell.
1,522. Not bad.
Hehehe...Pleade don't murder me. I like being un-murdered. Also, I meant to publish this this morning, but I had school, then I went to a friend's house, and my school's play...Basically, life.
So, uh, yeah. Summer is nearing! You guys'll—most likely—get more chapters in the summer months. Also, I've set this book in The Lost Hero(duh) and somewhere between The Battle for Skandia and Erak's Ransom. I haven't decided where, exactly, though.
See ya!
—Alex
P.S. UGHH! When I save this as a doc in FanFiction, bold and italics disappear, so the AN and italicized words aren't staying boldened or italicized. Sorry.
P.P.S. UGHHHH! What is wrong with FanFiction? It wouldn't let me upload this chapter last night. Sorry for the delay, readers.
P.P.P.S. Yay! I figured it out! Somehow I saved my doc as a docx, which meant I couldn't publish it...