Chapter 9: At Least We're Fighting Monsters Now
We got about six miles away from the city in about six hours, which is good I guess. We all put our seat belts on this time. After all, who know's what'll happen next? That old guy seemed like a way better fighter than I was just now, and he seemed to be mortal. Sure, a super fast mortal who could shoot rainbow lasers at people, but mortal nonetheless. How was that possible? It seemed way too hard to believe.
"So what do we do know?" Grover said, nervously chewing on another tin can.
"I think we should just find this 'second to none' person who can break the curse and get it over with." Thalia suggested, not taking her electric-blue eyes off the road. Annabeth agreed. I wasn't so sure though. I felt like meeting this person could be dangerous. Then again, since when has meeting a lot of these people(?) been totally safe? I didn't say anything.
Suddenly I felt a pain in my chest. I gripped my shirt and winced. Great, miles away from camp and that stupid curse is still acting up. In seconds my face was covered in sweat. I leaned backwards as the pain got a little more intense before slowly fading away. I knew I didn't have to worry about myself going into evil mode outside the camp boundaries, but the pain followed me everywhere, hurting me at random times. That wound in my abdomen wasn't helping either. When the pain subsided, I began to breathe heavily. I remembered my dad saying something about one of his previous kids was under the same, or at least similar, curse, and the results were that it got him killed. Was that going to happen to me? I mean, although Rachel did predict the curse would be broken, could it be too late to save my life anyway? Then I felt a hand on mine.
"Don't pass out us here Seaweed Brain. The last thing we need in dead weight." Annabeth said, but I could tell she was worried herself. I had not told even her about my dad's little visit, and seeing the look on her face, I wasn't about to. Besides, I kinda wanted it to be private, even if this was Annabeth I'm talking about.
"Don't worry Wise Girl," I answered, "the last thing I wanna be is dead weight. Emphasis on 'dead'."
Annabeth glared at me. "Not funny idiot."
"Yeah I know."
We said nothing after that, though Annabeth gave me a punch. Thalia drove on in silence, but I could tell she was hearing every word. She sighed every now and then, but for what, I'm not sure. Could she actually worry about me too? She is my cousin…
"BLA-HA-HA!" Grover exclaimed suddenly, making me jump so high I hit the hood of the car. I rubbed my head and demanded what that was for. Grover's expression cut me off. "Pull over!"
Thalia slammed onto the brakes as a fox ran past. I'm not talking about those medium-sized red foxes often found in North America. This fox was shimmering with a silvery red aura, and it was bigger than the car. It ran in front of the car and we would have crashed into it if Grover had not given the early warning. Annabeth gasped. Thalia was pale.
"The…The Teumessian Fox…" she mumbled, "but my father…"
The mondo fox growled and leaped towards us. Thalia hit the reverse and backed up as fast as possible. Then she stepped on it, away from the giant fox.
"Wait Thalia!" I yelled, "What's the Teumessian fox?"
"Argh!" Thalia grumbled as the fox gained on us. "It's a creature destined to never get caught. It's impossible to destroy at all!"
"But didn't you say your dad did something?"
"Look Percy!" Annabeth continued for the daughter of Zeus instead, "The fox and the magic dog Laelaps, were causing a lot of chaos due to their opposite destinies. The fox's was to never get caught, and Laelaps's was to always catch what it chased. Amphitryon sent Laelaps to destroy the fox, but the plan erupted into pure destruction. In the end Zeus turned them both to stone and cast them off to the stars, but apparently the Fates have decided that the fox was to return."
A loud bark was heard and I turned to see the fox next to us. Its eyes glowed angrily. It raced over and slammed into us with so much force the Mercedes flew straight off the road. It reminded me of my first experience with the Minotaur. The car overturned and we were either tossed around inside or getting suffocated by rogue seatbelts. When the car came to a stop, Thalia kicked the door open and dragged herself out. I managed to get myself out after pushing Annabeth and Grover out first. The fox growled again and pounced towards us. I uncapped Riptide for the second time that day day and Annabeth drew her knife. I slashed at it, but it dodged somehow. It went straight for Grover, which isn't really surprising considering he's half-goat. The poor guy was sent running in terror before Thalia sent a volley of arrows into its side. It howled and turned its attention to the Hunter.
"Come on you oversized fur coat! I'll take you!" she shouted, raising her quiver. The massive fox got ready to pounce again.
"Thalia!" Annabeth yelled. She wasn't the only one concerned. Thalia had just said that the beast can't be destroyed, and yet she was trying to take it on? She'll get killed! So I did something stupid even for and ADHD kid like me. I charged at it screaming.
I tried to stab Riptide into its other side, but I totally. The beast's attention was still on Thalia and it had just leaped into a pounce when I got close. Thalia took aim at the centre of its forehead and fired an arrow into its head. It backed up and howled again. I ducked a swing from its huge tail. It eyes were really mad now. Its speed increased drastically, and it leaped on top of Thalia, pinning her down before she even had a chance of notching another arrow. She couldn't even reach her shield, Aegis, now. Annabeth and I tried to get close, shouting her name, but the beast's tail keep swatting us away like we were flies. Gods, how were we gonna get her now?
Then, something unexpected happened. A portal of shadows appeared out of nowhere, and out of it leaped a huge hellhound. It was Mrs O'Leary. She tackled the fox and sent it flying. Then I heard someone chanting something in Greek. The fox began to panic as it sunk into pitch black darkness. I was relieved to see that, but I somehow felt that I'd have to face the fox again, and soon. I looked up and saw one of my friends sitting on Mrs O'Leary's back. The son of Hades, Nico di Angelo. He gave a playful smile in greeting.
"It can't be caught, but can be transported." He said, "Nice to see you too Percy."
Author's Note:
For the record, the fox's story is real and the fox isn't an OC. It's just one of the lesser Greek legends I decided to use. I love Mythology. XP
