Then I heard it. The far off screech of a Chimera
Percy POV
I immediately began looking about, hoping that a hunter may have heard it. No such luck. Nor was Artemis in camp, as she was riding her lunar chariot. That brought it down to one Percy Jackson versus what may have been an army of monsters. No doubt the Chimera smelled us. Surely it was headed here.
One thing to know, is that after two major mythological wars, I know what an army of monsters sounds like. This simply sounded like the Chimera with maybe one other monster. That was less bad. Although I never defeated the Chimera, I was sure that I could take it this time. I leapt into the low branches of the trees and began to climb. Silently, I approached the high branches of the tree. Just in time for the Chimera to appear 80 yards away from my side of camp. He knew I was here, he just didn't know where.
Leaping on its back is a bad idea, there is a snake head for a tail. The head has a fire breathing goat above it. If I jump on the goat head, if it tries to snake me, then it will bite itself. It can't breathe fire up and nothing will hit me. I can stab the goat in the eye and kill it piece by piece. Yep. A plan so crazy it just might work. So I jumped and with laser point accuracy landed on the goat head, and accidentally smashed it in. It smelled like rotting mushrooms and rotting tomatoes had a rotting baby.
I was covered in Chimera blood, which maybe wasn't good, considering that it takes all heat with it when it evaporates. Time for some math. If Chimera blood is a conductor of heat, ergo it takes heat, and I am a transmitter producing 37% of the heat it needs in 3 hours, then it will take around 9 hours to be safe to remove.
Nine hours. Nine hours before I could get warm. I managed. Now, as to the other heads, oh yes. I chopped them off.
Carefully I stepped down from the place of the goat head to just above the lion's. It was very slippery. No, not just slippery, near impossible to climb down. I spent more time resting to use my water powers to stop from falling than climbing. As I went to strike the lion's head, the snake came on me quickly and I had to focus on fighting it. Of course. I can't just stab it. I have to slash at it. Why? Because stabbing it lets it take my sword. And it is smart enough not to let me slash at it. So I lunge to the side, to fake it out, and slash the other way.
The tactic was spot on. A simple fake out technique distracted it to let me cut off the snake head. The Chimera, clearly shocked, froze and I cut off it's other two heads. The Chimera dissolved and the blood crumbled off of my skin. Good thing I am not dead.
After the excitement of the battle, I went to a shore to rest. Just a nearby stream shore, but still calming nonetheless. The trees were firm and majestic, but also gentle and soft in the delicate breeze. The creek went on in a hushed babble, the streambed made of stones, large and small. A ways off, I would hear a wolf howling, as if thanking me for my service. I spent a lot of time there, just sitting, and thinking, and admiring the nature.
I thought about why the Chimera would attack the Hunter's camp. It just didn't make sense. A monster going to a group of very powerful demigods that are watched over by a goddess. Even the Minotaur knows better. It was as if I was being tested. But what deity would want to test me? Gaea was already bested by me, so the Primordials wouldn't get involved. Kronos was defeated, so the titans wouldn't get involved. I saved Olympus so they have no need to test me. Who could it be?