Chapter 37: Time for Tactics, Finally, a Fight
AN: This was something I've been looking forward to writing for a long time. I wanted to elaborate on the actual fight and battles but I hadn't realized how hard a fight scene like this actually was. I hope it's okay even if I couldn't do as much as I wanted.
I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. I have been getting used to our crazy new world and spiraled. I will try to focus on my writing and finish this for all of you. Thanks for the endless support.
Reyna looked again at the scene in front of her. The giant war had been bad but they'd had more than enough demigods. Camp Half-Blood was at the least double the size it was in the scene in front of her. She looked at the other two demigods sitting not far away from her. "How did you manage? The titan's army was—"
"We almost didn't," Annabeth said.
"We've had worse odds since," Percy said.
"But the Giants were…"
"Not then," Percy said. "It wasn't a fight in camp."
"But that army is like triple your size and with a lot more power," Carter pointed out. "There's no tactical advantage for you besides having the home turf…"
"Just watch."
A dozen laistrygoninans erupted from the ground first yelling so loud most of the campers recoiled covering their ears. They carried shields made of flattened cars and clubs of tree trunks with rusty spikes shoved in. One of them yelled at the Ares phalanx and smashed across the lock shields with his club. All of them were thrown aside taking down the Camp's first defense.
"Not good," Ella squawked.
"And that was just one monster," Hazel said as she bit her lip nervously.
Beckendorf yelled to fire. All the catapults swung. Two boulders hurtled forward one bounced off the car shield but the other hit a giant in the chest and he fell. Then seconds later a volley of arrows followed hitting some hitting the chinks in the giants' armor and evaporating them while the rest stuck out of their armor-like quills.
"The catapults barely made a dent," Leo said.
"The archers did but those were only a few giants. The army's forerunners," Frank agreed. "It's not going to make much of a difference."
Just as the other few laistrygonians started to struggle more monsters erupted. Forty dracanae all with full armor, spears, and nets dispersed. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got stuck in the spikes and got hit by an arrow a second later. Another hit a tripwire and the Greek fire exploded engulfing several shrieking snake women. But there were still at least twenty-five of them.
"Yeah!" Leo cheered. "That's how you do it."
"The battle still isn't over," Calypso reminded him.
"No. But the traps will slow them down. More explosions, more spikes, they're all gonna trample each other as they get stuck," Leo grinned.
"But some of the campers could get trampled too," Jason frowned.
Argus charged along with all the Athena cabin. Annabeth led them in the front drawing a sword and engaging one of them. The spear was out of her hands in less than a minute and she became dust in the next. Tyson had managed to get on a giant's back. He hit him over and over again with a bronze shield.
"Will that kill him?" Blitz asked.
"It'll slow him down," Grover answered.
"Why don't you just fight with a sword?" Sadie asked Annabeth. "You're obviously just as good as it now as with a knife."
"I do now," Annabeth shrugged. "But until last year the knife was my main weapon."
She used her drakon bone sword in battles now. But she always kept a knife on her as well. Having both weapons was an advantage and so was knowing how to use them well.
Chiron nocked another arrow. He'd hit several dracanae already and one of the laistrygonian. No shot missed. More monsters and soldiers kept coming, most of which were indecipherable until a hellhound barreled straight out the entrance to the satyrs. Chiron turned to Percy as he nocked another arrow and yelled go.
"It's endless," muttered Piper. Seeing this was so different than what she'd gone through in the Giant war. They'd had seven powerful demigods while on the Argo II and more than enough when fighting at Camp. This in front of her was something much scarier and daunting. It was actually endless hordes, not just foes or several giants who they could fight with the gods. It was an army up in their face.
Percy drew Riptide and charged. As he raced towards the hellhound and the satyrs who were backing up into the woods other half-bloods fought other enemies one on one in front of him. One of the blonde twins, Dionysus's son, fought an enemy half-blood who hit him easily with the butt of his sword. One camper started to fight him after but that let an enemy archer pass through and shoot flaming arrows into the trees making the camps archers and dryads panic and scream racing out of the forest and trees.
"A fire," Magnus said. "Just when it couldn't get any better."
"It got taken care of," Juniper sighed in relief. "Thank the gods."
"Not fast enough though," Percy said somberly.
"There were other things going on," Grover told him. "You did enough."
Percy pursed his lips but didn't argue.
Annabeth was in the opposite direction and had stopped several more dracaena. Clarisse and her campers finished of the Laistrygonians. Then together they turned to fight the enemy half-bloods and telkehines leading to more swords and clashing and exploding clouds of dust.
"So that's what happens when the war gods children work together," Thalia tried teasing but the usual sarcasm and note of humor in her voice were gone.
"We can work together," Annabeth said. "Camp needs its best warriors and our cabins always train do be them."
"Against and with each other," Clarisse agreed. "So we can take down monster scum like those."
Reyna nodded as well. "The Romans as well. I have to say, watching it like this while not engaged in battle as well I see something to your tactics. Maybe not as good as Roman techniques, but I suppose they work."
"You take that back," Clarisse growled. "We know how to fight."
"Our fighting style is better for some things than others, same as yours," Annabeth reasoned. "Though I think ours allows more fluidity and change, therefore giving us the advantage when things go wrong. Not that we don't try and plan for that anyway."
Reyna raised an eyebrow but decided she'd sit and study the battle silently from now on.
Then a dozen dracanae who'd managed to escape the two war gods cabins as they were confronted by the demigods and telekhines headed in the opposite direction of the woods towards the camp and away from the fight. Percy was already running in the opposite direction but he was looking around panicked. His eyes met Nico who was turning from finishing stabbing a telekhine. His sword finished absorbing the essence of the monster. Percy yelled his name and pointed. Nico's eyes widened then narrowed in determination.
"Twelve? Alone?" Alex asked.
"I manage."
"More than," Percy snorted.
Magnus rolled his eyes at Alex's question. It wasn't like she couldn't do the same between shifting and slashing with her garrote.
Nico took a deep breath and held out his black sword pointed at the monsters. He said serve him.
"I don't think that will work," Sam frowned. "They aren't dead like Magnus and Alex."
"I'm not getting them to serve me," Nico said over Alex and Magnus's protests.
The ground trembled and another fissure opened in front of the dracaena and a dozen warriors in the military uniforms of Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on horses, Civil war fighters, World War and Vietnam war soldiers, Crusaders, and US revolutionaries all emerged drawing their swords engaging the dracanae. Nico crumbled and Percy looked at him worriedly and stopped for a second but then kept running toward the hellhound.
"Sorry I didn't help."
"You had other places to be," pointed out Nico. His finger was aimed at the giant hellhound on the screen.
"Plus the Apollo cabin and our healers pulled him away a second later," Will said with an eye roll.
Percy arrived near the hellhound who was at the edge of the woods were the Satyrs were retreating. The monster snapped at a satyr who managed to scramble out of the way but then the giant dog turned and pounced on another who fell to the ground as his tree-bark shield cracked. The dog lowered his mouth to the fallen satyr when Percy yelled hey. The monster turned snarling at him and leaping.
"Flashbacks," Percy winced as he rubbed his chest. "Advice kids, never get cut up by a hellhound."
"I still can't believe he let that into the camp," Thalia said catching the reference to Percy's first capture the flag game.
"Yeah. I was kind of traumatized. I froze there. Also forgot it wasn't Mrs. O'Leary. But the next time well…"
Percy fell backward but his hand closed around a jar on the ground. He grabbed it and threw it into the hellhound's mouth and the creature exploded into flames as Percy scrambled away breathing heavily.
"How on earth are you so lucky?" Rachel asked again. "Seriously. A jar of greek fire happened to be right there when you fell."
"Honestly I have no clue how I survive this stuff," Percy said.
"The answer is he's Percy," Nico interrupted.
"What does that even mean?" Percy asked.
"It makes sense."
"Totally."
Percy rushed straight to the Satyr who wasn't moving after he'd been under the hellhound's claws but before he could Grover's voice yelled his name from the smoke and fire behind him.
"He's dead?" Hearth signed sadly.
"Yeah. A new flower," Grover said. "Forgot what kind. There were several of them."
That didn't make anyone feel better.
Grover was playing a song on his pipes and a little water trickled from the sky. Juniper beat out the flames with her shawl but only managed to fan them. The fire was enclosing on their tree and Percy stood from near the Satyr and ran in their direction. He ducked under the crossing swords of an Ares camper and a telekhine and under the legs of a falling giant moving before it could collapse on him but then using it to jump over another duel. He stood in the midst of the fire and looked around frantically.
"How are you going to put that out?" Zia asked. "There is no water."
"There's rain," Jaz told her.
"That was Grover's rain song," Juniper said.
"A hurricane then?" Carter asked.
"No."
Percy's eyes clenched tight as he threw his arms forward from his side. A roaring sound filled the woods as he opened his eyes and clapped his hands together. Behind him a whole wall of water rushed through the woods and the trees dousing all the fire, parting around Percy but soaking Grover and Juniper. Grover blew out a spout of water and said thanks to Percy. Nearby several other enemy campers had been knocked out by the water and the campers took advantage even if they were a little disoriented too.
"Where did that even come from?" Thalia asked him.
"The ground again?" suggested Hazel. "Like with the stables."
"No."
"But the closest water was the creek!" Will said with wide eyes.
"Yeah."
"That's a half-mile away," Chris agreed.
Everyone stared at Percy.
"You can pull that much water from a half-mile away?" asked Jason.
"I guess. I don't know the farthest I can bring it from or how much though."
"Your powers…" Thalia started but trailed off.
Percy said no problem as he ran back to the fight. Grover and Juniper both followed him with a cudgel and her with a wooden whipping switch. She looked furious and as they ran forward to the entrance there were finally much fewer monsters though there were injured half-bloods too. The fight seemed to be even.
"You've done it," said Sam in shock. "It's even now."
"Good. Now you can finish it," Jason said. "It's balanced and because Percy's back and other fighters will be finishing you can win."
"Not just yet," Annabeth warned.
They'd just reached the fight when a shriek echoed from the Labyrinth again. Percy's eyes widened again in shock.
"I've heard that before," Apollo said. He still could pick out any note or tune no matter how much of his godly powers were gone his hearing was still impeccable. "I mean we all did."
"This is going to be just as bad as the time I decided to fight a demon in Russia, isn't it?" Carter sighed.
"I'm not sure what that means but probably," answered Grover.
Kampe shot into the sky. On the ground behind her, more monsters came out from the labyrinth. Her wings were completely spread and she landed over the entrance on Zeus's fist and looked around at the carnage with glee. The heads at her waist growled. Snakes hissed as they twirled around her legs. She held a glittering ball of string in one hand but put into the lion's mouth at her waist so she could use both hands to draw her curved swords which glowed green with poison. She screeched again and campers screamed. Several tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds and giants. Other running campers tried to help them up.
"Yep," Alex said. "That's not going to go well for you."
"Just when you almost had it."
"Only going to make it a lot harder."
"Try almost impossible," Clarisse grunted.
Chiron yelled di immortales. He aimed an arrow but Kampe immediately turned to where he stood and took off so his arrow just flew by her head. Tyson untangled himself from where several lasitrygonians lay on the ground. He ran at the campers and shouted to stand and not to run from her. To fight.
"You go, Tyson."
"You're right," Frank told him. "Even though they probably won't listen."
"Kampe is scary. No one even tries to fight her."
Apollo nodded at Tyson's assessment. "Her greatest weapon is fear."
Tyson started to yell again when a hellhound leaped on him and they both went rolling away. Kampe landed again at the gray Athena command tent and smashed it flat. Percy started to dash in the same direction and Annabeth appeared by his side running in sync. She grinned at him and said this might be it. Percy said could be. She said nice fighting with him and called him seaweed brain fondly and he turned and gave her a crooked grin and said ditto.
"You're supposed to be fighting," Magnus reminded her. "Not flirting."
"We can do both."
"Not when you're fighting that thing," Thalia pointed at the scene.
"No. We can do both."
"You're disgusting," Thalia grimaced.
"They're literally the cutest couple of all time," Juniper said next to her.
Both of them leapt forward at Kampe who hissed and sliced at them. Percy jumped out of the way and swung his sword to distract her. Annabeth went in with her sword but the monster fought both of them at the same time with both the swords in both hands at different times. She blocked Annabeth and at the same time swiped at Percy. Annabeth jumped back avoiding the cloud of poison. Both her and Percy were still blinking back tears and trying to get their breath. Percy dodged another swing and Annabeth parried one.
Percy coughed. "She's literally the depths of the pit."
"I remember," Annabeth agreed. "It's just as bad."
"Great," Jason said. He'd seen his friends conditions after the pit and the acidic air and atmosphere.
Percy yelled to come on. They needed help. He tried to look around but all around him campers were busy fighting or inured. A few just gaped to scared to move and help. Then three arrows whizzed through the air and sprouted from Kampe's chest. She just roared louder. Percy turned from where Chiron had shot as Annabeth yelled now. Both of them charged and dodged the monster's slashes with her curved swords and they were both standing in front of her their swords aimed at her chest when another animal head erupted from her waist and they stumbled back to avoid the teeth.
"You almost had her," said Carter awed.
"I was with Annabeth," Percy said as if that solved everything.
"You almost killed one of the oldest monsters on earth," Jason said. "One of the more powerful ones too, I think."
"I just had a good fighting partner," Percy said again. "Annabeth have trained together for years. We know each other's moves well and can coordinate."
"I'm pretty sure you both ran at the same beat," pointed out Alex. "As much as sync as you are it's not normal for both of you to have your feet hit the ground at the exact same moment."
"Basically when Percy and Annabeth team up they're unstoppable," Sadie said in conclusion. "And we should all be scared to fight them together."
"No," Percy shook his head. "Some of you could probably beat us."
"One on one yeah. Together?" Piper said skeptically. "I mean Jason trained in the legion for at least 12 years and you managed to beat him one on one. With Annabeth? It would take seconds."
Annabeth just sat back proudly during the whole conversation. "Just take the compliment Seaweed Brain. They're saying we're a good team."
"The best," Percy agreed with a kiss.
Then Kampe used the butts of her sword to slam them both to the floor. They both collapsed and Percy blinked and squinted with a groan on the ground with Kampe holding them down with her draconic forelegs. The snakes stemming from them hissed at laughter over him and Kampe raised her swords. Percy looked to Annabeth and closed his eyes.
"You jinxed yourselves," Thalia said.
"What?"
"You said fighting for the last time," Thalia said to Annabeth. "You jinxed yourselves and almost died."
"In Percy's words we always almost die."
"I just want to know how you got out of it this time. Percy seems to be accepting death. Look how he's looking at Annabeth," Piper pointed out.
"Can we stop arguing?" Percy groaned. "My vision blacked out for a second and I feel like I have at least a ton on my chest. Not to mention the breathing of toxicity so I'd like to move on so it stops."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Talking hurts," he moaned.
Then a howl erupted from the labyrinth and a dark shape slammed into Kampe sending her sideway. Mrs. O'Leary stood over them snarling and trying to bite at Kampe. That was only after looking down and whimpering at Percy as if checking he was okay.
"You have amazing pets," Magnus told him.
"The best," agreed Percy. "Though Blackjack is more of a friend."
"You should see our pets," Carter argued.
Both other boys turned to him curiously.
"Later," Annabeth reminded Percy. "Or are you no longer in pain?"
"There's no longer a ton on my chest," Percy said in a cheerful voice.
"So it still hurts and the conversation is being saved for later."
Daedalus came out of the labyrinth next and yelled good girl as he twirled his sword at the enemies that charged at him as he started to Percy and Annabeth. He jabbed the sword into a dracanae behind him then spun it forward cutting a telekhine in half. A giant charged and he jabbed him in the stomach and turned and slashed at an attacking demigod sending them to the floor with a groan.
"And this is why I'm not the best swordsman," Percy said. "At least not then and still not now."
"I'm going to reserve judgment till you see yourself fight," Frank told him.
"Particularly that fight on the bridge," Nico added to Frank's confusion. "Actually everything from the second you agreed to do what I asked."
Behind Daedalus emerged the tallest giant yet but his with a hundred arms each holding a huge piece of rock. Tyson called out Briares name happily. Briares yelled hail little brother and said to stand firm.
"Everyone else where being cowards and running," Clarisse agreed.
"I guess he decided to be a hero after all," Blitz said in awe as he watched.
"Briares is the best. A good fighter. He is my friend now."
"Only because of you," Percy told Tyson.
Mrs. O'Leary leapt out of the way and Briares threw his rocks which grew as they left his hands. With a huge crashing sound and an explosion of dust Percy and Annabeth were thrown back as the boulders crashed together becoming a mountain almost as tall as Zeus's fist. Two green sword points stuck through the cracks.
"Is that still there?" Piper asked alarmed as everyone else cheered and shouted.
"What?"
"Are those boulders and the swords still there? Is the monster?" asked Piper. "What if a camper accidentally touches one of those things?"
"I don't think so," Percy frowned. "Didn't we move them?"
"Yeah. She was dead and monsters who die dissolve," Grover said. "I don't remember what happened with the swords."
"We moved the boulders. Chiron and Argus took care of the swords," Annabeth explained.
"They're still at camp," Percy reminded her.
"Right," she said face-palming.
"What? Isn't that dangerous?" Hazel asked.
"Not really. You'll see eventually," Percy replied.
The campers cheered and Tyson beamed at Briares. The battle had paused then a dracanae yelled to slay them, to kill them all or Kronos would flay them alive. The army regrouped and the giants surged forward. The one in the lead hit Chiron in the back legs and he stumbled and fell as the other six yelled happily rushing forward. Percy screamed no and started to run toward him.
"Why does Chiron always get hurt?" Annabeth winced.
"He heals," Percy reminded her. "And it's not that often. Twice."
"I know but—"
"I understand."
"Anyone feeling the half-blood prince with Chiron saying for Percy to stay by his side and do what he asked and then this?" asked Sadie.
"I thought we said we were done with those comparisons," Carter asked her.
"But I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yeah."
"No. I'm not Harry Potter," Percy interrupted. "So sorry Sadie but you're wrong this time."
"You'll learn soon enough Percy dear. Sadie is always right."
Carter snorted and got hit by his sister's flying pillow for it.
"Either way with Daedalus, Briares, and Mrs. O'Leary it's more even again," Jason said.
"But they have lost Chiron which may give them a drive but it also takes away some spirit and a very valuable warrior," Reyna argued.
"Don't worry," Percy grinned. "It's over soon. Like I said. I had help from all my friends."
Behind him, Grover opened his mouth and yelled. But it wasn't a yell but a sound that made everyone stop and stare. It echoed and shook and radiated fear louder than anything else on earth.
Percy winced and rubbed his ears. Grover mouthed sorry at him. Percy returned it with a nonchalant grin and a thumbs up.
All of Kronos's army dropped their weapons and ran. The giants trampled dracanae who exploded into dust as they tried to get back into the maze. Telekhines and hellhounds and other half-bloods followed. The tunnel rumbled and closed and the only sound was crackling fires still in some of the trees and the groans of those hurt. Percy helped Annabeth up and they both exchanged glances.
"Grover, what was that?" asked an astounded Frank.
"I think it will say."
"It was amazing," Alex said wide-eyed.
"It's kind of like the peace of Frey," Magnus said. "Everyone just drops their weapons."
"Yeah," Alex said with an eye roll. "But this was sheer terror and chaos."
"How do you do it?"
"Can anyone else do that?"
"Just wait," Percy promised seeing Grover wasn't enjoying the attention. "I think Chiron explains."
Percy and Annabeth now both on their feet started to run toward Chiron. Percy asked if he was all right. Chiron was obviously not as he laid on his side and tried to get up but found he couldn't. He looked at Percy and Annabeth and said how embarrassing. He thought he would be fine. Fortunately, they didn't shoot centaurs with broken Chiron stopped in the middle of his sentence with an exclamation of pain then continued and said broken legs.
"He' so calm," Hazel said with wide eyes.
"He has to be," Annabeth said. "Camp would panic if Chiron showed that he was in pain or even afraid."
"Adults do that," Magnus said with a look toward Hearth and Blitz. Carter and Sadie exchanged glances thinking of Bast and Bes.
"So do some of these guys," Will said with a look at Nico then Percy.
Annabeth said he needed help. She'd get a medic Apollo's cabin. Chiron said no and insisted there were more serious injuries to attend to then his. He yelled to go and said he was fine. Then he turned to Grover and said later they had to talk about how he did that.
"I thought you said he'd explain what it was?" asked Alex.
"He will."
"I don't want to wait."
"Do you even think we'll be able to explain?" Juniper asked. "I mean they've stopped us from saying things that spoiled stuff before."
"Fine."
Percy agreed that was amazing. Grover blushed. He said he didn't know where it came from.
"Dude," Jason said. "No matter where it came from you single-handedly ended the battle with it and stopped a lot more people from getting hurt."
"I didn't do it myself," Grover said. "We wouldn't have won without Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, Briares, Daedalus and pretty much everyone."
"It was pretty amazing," Percy told him.
"Says the guy who saved the whole forest by picking up a river."
"You're both amazing," Annabeth said simply. "Are we done now?"
Juniper hugged him and yelled she did. She was interrupted mid squeal by Percy yelling to come quick. It was Nico.
Will sighed. "Overstraining yourself again?"
"I'm fine."
"You weren't. I remember."
"What happened to being able to protect yourself?" Reyna asked him.
"I am."
"Obviously not," Jason said.
"You can protect yourself," Hazel amended. "But you need someone to take care of you too. Otherwise, you push yourself too hard."
"Basically Nico needs to let himself be babied sometimes," Thalia smirked.
"Don't," Nico glared at her.
"Try me."
