Hi. Me again. Yeah, um, I broke my own damn rule. This chapter is a continuation of the last Percy chapter. So uh, read? I guess?
The next morning, Percy woke up with Piper by his side. He ran his fingers through her hair. She stirred and grabbed his hand.
"Whut're you doin'?" she murmured sleepily.
"Playing with your hair," Percy answered. Piper sighed.
" 'M tryna sleep," she muttered. Percy laughed softly.
"I'm getting breakfast." He started to get up, but was pulled back down. Piper kissed him and snuggled closer.
"Stay with me a little longer," she said. Percy wrapped his arms around her. They lay for a while longer before Piper sat up.
"Okay, I'm hungry now. Time for food." She pulled on a random sweatshirt that happened to be Percy's and went downstairs. Percy followed suit.
As they ate, Percy outlined the plan for the day.
"I'm gonna chop some wood for the fire. Winter is gonna be here in a few weeks, so we need to stock up on supplies."
"I'll go into town and get charcoal, chips, and such. Do the Sawyers have our stuff?"
"I think they will by tomorrow. We're gonna have to harvest what's left in the garden, then I'll go hunting." Piper made a face at the prospect of butchery, then quickly shifted the subject.
"Fine. Can we go hiking later? Maybe even camp out?" Percy nodded.
"Sure. We gotta get our supplies first, though." The son of Poseidon stood and walked upstairs to change. He put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. When he went back downstairs, Piper was sitting in his deskchair. She spun around, fingers steepled.
"I've been waiting for you," she said in a horrible villain impression. Percy rolled his eyes.
"Shut up and change," he said. Piper laughed and ran upstairs.
A few minutes later, they were outside, harvesting what remained of the garden. Percy stabbed the ground with his shovel, leaning on it and wiping sweat from his eyes. Piper looked over at him, smiling. Her expression quickly turned to fear and surprise. Dropping to the ground, Percy allowed the monster to leap over his head. He pulled out Riptide and uncapped it, the sword springing to full size. Piper scrambled over to him, Icicle and Katroptris at the ready. The monster got to its feet and shook itself off. The two demigods finally got a good look at it.
It seemed to be a fusion of two animals that had no business being fused together. A lion's head roared while a goat's bleated angrily. The body was the front part of a goat, complete with gray, shaggy fur and the back was a lion's. Instead of a feline tail, a green snake whipped around, baring its fangs and hissing.
"Uh, Percy, what the fuck is that?" Piper asked. Percy recognized it. He hadn't seen it in nearly ten years.
"It's the Chimera. Which means…"
"Easy, Sonny," a voice said. A woman stepped out from the forest behind the monster. Her sharpened, triangular teeth reminded Percy of a shark's. Her black, beady eyes glared at the two demigods.
"Hello, Perseus." she said.
"Wow, hi, Echidna. Long time, no see."
"Fishsticks, how do you know this lady?"
"We met once in Saint Louis, Missouri. She made me fall off the Gateway Arch."
"I did not! That was Sonny's fault!"
"Oh, please! He was a freaking Chiuauha!" Percy yelled. Piper's head whipped back and forth, as if following a tennis match. The Chimera kept its heads trained on her except for the snake, which was upright as though scanning. It suddenly hissed and a second later, a mass of black bowled into the fusion monster. Snarls filled the air before golden monster dust settled on the frosen ground. Mrs. O'Leary growled at Echidna. She bared her teeth.
"You two just wait. After I finish making more friends for Sonny, your camps will be gone!" Percy lunged for Echidna, but she was gone. He drove Riptide into the dirt as if stabbing a monster.
"Percy, you heard her. She's going to attack the camps," Piper said. "We have to do something." Percy nodded and stood.
"I know. Much as it pains me, we have to go. Pack your clothes. We're gonna take a trip."
Okay, so I know y'all are expecting some apology. Sorry. There. I said it. Now review, dammit. Jeez, I feel bad breaking my own rule. Piper's POV next, then the final chapter. Bye. -RFA
