My First Fight With The Minotaur

Despite how some movies depict the Fates, when the Fates Cut the yarn, it doesn't necessarily mean immediate death, it just means you or someone whose destiny is intertwine with yours will die. But you never know when or how that will happen or if it is you or someone you know or will know. The Fates are mysterious that way. If they weren't then everyone who sees them and know who they are will try everything in their power to defy their fate.

The only thing is, how am I going to break this to my mom?

She hasn't changed much since she picked me up. She was still kind and carrying person. But when it comes to me being in danger she wouldn't hesitate to show her protective mother side.

Grover and I arrived at the apartment complex and after I paid the cab driver we immediately went inside—not wanting to take risk being out in the open unless we have too.

We headed to the Jackson Family and Friends apartment and I reached for my keys, thanking gods he decided to bring them to the field trip today instead of locked up in my locker. He also thanked the gods that today was the day that today she took a day off to work on her studies.

A year after I settled into Camp Half-Blood, my mom finished up her night classes and got her high school diploma and was able saved up enough money to attend New York University for a Bachelors degree in writing.

I didn't tell her, but I'd been silently praying to Annabeth's mother Athena to help my mom out. Athena and my dad may never get along, but I had hopes that Athena would let it slide to help my mom. I think Annabeth even been praying too her mother to help my mom out, even if she wouldn't admit it.

I unlocked the door and they headed in. Not much has changed over the five years. My mom has me train basic hero stuff on the roof after I accidentally destroyed a vase.

"Mom!" I yelled.

It didn't take long for my mom to appeared—which I'm not surprise since technically I should still be in school.

My mom hasn't changed over the five years, except maybe a few more gray strands, that I wouldn't bring up.

"Percy, Grover, what happened?" she asked.

We told her about the museum and the counter with the fates. As I expected, my mother paled when I mention The Fates cutting the cord.

"We need to pack and head to camp," Grover said.

"Yes, of course go head," Sally said. "I'll contact the camp to let them know you two will be heading there a week early."

"Thanks, mom," I responded.

I headed to my room as Grover headed to the guest room which had temporarily became his room during his stay here.

Once in my room, I threw out everything in my backpack that was school related and started packing my gear as well as my Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt as well as some spared clothes, Hal's book, a canteen of nectar and a bag full of ambrosia—you never know when you need food of the gods.

Once I was packed up I headed out to meet my mom—who just hanged up on a phone.

Normally demigods can't use phones to call each other or use Phones in camp—attracts too much monsters. So the Rainbow goddess of messages: Iris opened up her rainbow messaging to demigods, and make money off it too. All we have to do is create a rainbow, pray to Iris, throw in a drachma—Ancient Greek money that been modified for today's demigods—and call out who you want to talk to. However, for parents that knows about the Olympians that need to contact the camp in times of emergency, Chiron does keep a cellphone and computers in a celestial bronze sealed room for such occasions.

I remember the day after I made it to Camp, Chiron lend me his cellphone to call my mom. I was still depressed of what happened to Thalia and my mom could tell the moment I first said something that something was wrong. Now I'm afraid I might face death like Thalia, only this time it's most likely I won't be turning into a tree.

Calm down, we don't know for sure when exactly or if I'll die, I thought.

It wasn't long before Grover joined and we got into my mom's car.

…

If there's one thing I'm grateful for is my mom's clear vision. If it wasn't for that, we would be completely blinded by rain that hit us immediately after we left Manhattan.

While most mortals parked on the side of the road or some kind of parking lot to wait for the rain to calm down, we were racing toward Long Island New York. I even used the Mist around us to make our car look like an emergency vehicle to Mortals so no one would try to stop us until we were on the country road.

It wasn't long before I recognized the scenery outside—a combination of farm land and woods. This was the road Thalia Luke Annabeth Grover and I were taking five years ago. However something else was going on in my mind.

"What is going out there?" I asked. "Why is trouble stirring up now?"

"I don't know—maybe Chiron can answer that," Mom told me.

"Let's hope we can get there," Grover said.

Leave it to Grover to be optimistic.

"I'm sure Chiron would explain things to you after we get you to camp," my mom said.

Lightning flashed outside. We turned to the strawberry fields. To a mortal it was nothing special, but to me, it meant we were almost there. Just as I was about to see Half-Blood Hill, I heard a bellowing roar.

"Did you guys—" Before I could finish my question my mom swearved the car dodging something. Before we regain control another object was thrown at us causing my mom to swerve and dodge it before striking a ditch and was trapped in there.

I looked outside to see what was thrown at us. It was cow. You got to be kidding me.

"Percy!" my mom shouted.

"I'm okay…" I responded

"Grover!"

"I'll live," Grover said.

"Percy," my mom said, "we have to…" Her voice fraltered.

I looked back and I wish I haven't. In a flash of lightning, through the mud spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road.

From the belly bottom down as well as it's arms it looked like the body of a muscle builder wearing only a pair of bright white Fruit and the Loom underwear but other than that was mostly fur and the head was not the head of a human—it was the head of a bull.

The Minotaur, I thought, of all the monsters I had to face, why it had to be the Minotaur.

See, ever since my half-brother Theseus killed the Minotaur for the first time, every time the Minotaur reformed (monsters reform from Tartarus days to centuries after they were destroyed depending on the monster) it doesn't waste time going after children of Poseidon. Of course it still kills other heroes and mortals, but no matter what its favorite target is a child of Poseidon.

"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car!"

Grover and I didn't hesitated. We tried shoving the door open but nothing happened.

"We don't have time for this!" Grover removed his pants and shoes, revealing his goat's hind-end and kicked the back glass—shattering it to pieces. He put his hoody on the edge as he got out.

My mom and I scrambled to the back and with Grover's help got out and slid down the trunk onto the ground.

Once on the ground I got a good look at Half-Blood Hill—the hill Thalia's tree was standing onto at since it was where Thalia made her sacrifice. I could see Thalia's tree through the rain.

The Minotaur bellowed in rage. It might not see me, but I doubt it means it can't smell me.

"Mom, get to safety," I said drawing out my pen-sword—waiting for the moment to uncapped it.

"Percy—"

"Grover, keep my mom safe," I ordered.

Grover reluctantly nodded. While in Camp, I learn that all heroes have fatal flaws—a flaw in their personality that makes them vulnerable. Mortals have it too but unless someone tries to exploit it, most mortals live most of their lives without knowing it. But for us demigods—whose lives are a constant battle between life and death—the last thing we need is to feel vulnerable.

Mine is personal loyalty—I would do anything to try and save those I cared about, or in some cases if something did happen to them I would do anything make whoever hurts them pay.

Pasiphae's son—a.k.a. the minotaur—was hunched over our car, snuffling and nuzzling in the windows, trying to sniff us out since it couldn't see us.

Then the minotaur bellowed in rage. He picked up the car by the windows, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded. Not good.

Another bellowed of rage and the bull-man started tromping uphill.

It smelled us. Definitely not good.

Thalia's pine tree was only a few more yards, but—as always—the hill was as steep and slick as ever.

The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us. I jumped sideways at the last second.

It bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me, toward my mother and Grover.

We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see the valley of Camp Half-Blood. The big house disguise as a farmhouse from this angle was glowing yellow through the rain. But that was miles away. There was no way I could get help in time to save my mother and best friend.

The Minotaur grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was retreating slowly downhill with Grover backing her up.

Grover tried to play some music through his reed pipes that caused the plants to tangle around the monster. At first it worked but the Minotaur tore through them and started charging at them.

"No!" I chased after them, but it was too late. Grover tried to block the minotaur, but was swatted aside into a tree and was knocked out.

Then the Minotaur came at my mother, preventing her from sidestepping and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling.

I was only a few feet from them when the beast closed his fist around my mother's neck. But instead dying, she dissolved into a light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection.

Now mortals don't die like that, but I wasn't focus on that. I drew out riptide and with one mean slashed, cut off the hand of the Minotaur that held my mother.

I then swiped my sword into the Minotaur's side—it's weakness. But just as I made the final move, the minotaur also struck me with it's good hand and send me flying.

I hit the ground and slammed the back of my head on a sharp rock. When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I got to see my victory. The Minotaur turned into a golden dust—leaving the hand I decapitated which I didn't want.

The rain had stopped. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief. Something happened to my mother. That light show wasn't natural death-even in monster fighting term.

Maybe Annabeth can figure it out but right now Grover was still unconscious and I was barely able to stand. I need to get us to Camp Half-Blood.

I picked up Grover and hauled him up the hill, pass Thalia's tree, and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the big house.

The last thing I remember was collapsing on the wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around the yellow light, and a familiar voice yelling, "Oh my gods, Percy! Chiron! It's Percy—and Grover is with him."

I passed out before I knew who it was.