C3: A Crazy 3 Way Hunt:
xxx Camp Half-Blood xxx
Terrific, a storm was raging over head from a new arguement between Zues and Poseidon. The arguement was over a theft of Zues' master bolt. His symbol of power and authority. Even though he had no evidence of his brother comitting the theft. The Sea God was still blamed. But at the moment that didn't matter to the two Goddess as they stood in the murky dark rain. It had been 12 hours and now they were ready.
A few animals that Artemis had do some scouting for them reported that a car was driving its way here at a very fast pace. A mortal mother was driving a Demi-god male teenager and a satyr here. Probably to get her child to safety. The Demi-god seemed clueless, typical male, and the satyr was the one named Grover. He was a huge fan boy of hers, more so then most nature spirits. He was also one of the few satyrs that thought with the head on his shoulders, so he was okay, for a male.
Following close behind was The Bull. The Minotaur, a giant two legged cow with no personality. Her animal scouts also reported a few harpies flying overhead as the cow prepared to charge the car at the next turn. But those were not her or Athena's target either. No it was the last report she got from a few birds before the winds really started to pick up. Pursueing the Beasts of Hades was something else. Something that could bend the tree tops as it moved. Only it wasn't naturally made. This was something new, an animal made by mortals. This is why they were here in the rain. Being made by mortal hands they didn't know if the barrier would protect the camp from it. And while they didn't wait and see what all has gone into its creation. The word on the wind was it was big, it was powerful, and it seemed to be hungry for cow man.
Lighting flashed overhead revealing Artemis' position in a tree branch overlooking Athena who stood at the ready. Her spear and sheild in her hands. Armor covering her body, and a light smirk on her face. It had been years since her last battle and she was secretly enjoying the suspense of waiting for this unknown foe. The sounds of a crash in the distnce warned them that the party had been started. At the sound of the Mino's bellowing roar Artemis drew an arrow. Silently she drew it back. Aiming over the tree line, she fired. Following her namesake her aim was true as she struck the lead harpy in the wing. The flying terror screached as it dropped to the ground in the nearby trees. Artemis completed the first step of the plan, live bait. If the mortal creation behaved like an animal, then the screaming wails of the wounded harpy wound draw it like moths to a flame.
Soon after the hunted trio burst through the tree line. They quickly ran past were Athena and Artemis stationed themselves. Unaware of how close they were due to their state of panic. Knowing that the mother couldn't enter the camp Artemis had left instructions to The Hunt to protect her. Afterall it wasn't her fault that a God couldn't keep it in his pants. A loud crack drew the Goddesses' attention as a mangled set of car remains came flying over the tree tops.
Athena didn't miss a step as she lunged forward and used her sheild to bash the flying vehicular protectile back towards the offending party. The Minotaur burst through trees and had to quickly duck under the flying object he had just sent towards his quarry. Another result from the sheild bash was, since the battle had begun, the Two Goddesses used their power to hold off the rain. The air was eriely quiet now, minus the still screeching and cursing harpy, as the bull huffed in annoyance at being blocked from chasing the humans. The confident smirk on Athena's was plain as day. "Not so much fun when the target is stronger then you are. Isn't it, beast?"
The Minotaur roared in rage as it started to charge. The beast huffed as it started to gain speed. The steam clearly visible from its breath in the moisture filled air. Its large hoof feet sank into the mad as it ran. It would kill this girl warrior and then chase that boy again. His blood demanded it. That boy had a strong scent and would hopefully give him a good fight. He couldn't smell much from this woman in his way. He would kill her. Then he would kill those other three. He would... get nailed in the back of the head and face plant into the mud.
Athena gasped at what had hit the Minotaur. It was a wing arm. It was a wing arm with an arrow stuck in it. She was so focused on The Bull she never noticed the screeching had stopped. She quickly glanced up to Artemis who was scanning the woods above her, "Artemis, anything? Can you see it?"
Artemis had her head on a swivel. Her eyes darting all around where the harpy had fallen. While she was glad its annoying screeching was silenced. It was a wound to her pride as The Hunter Supreme that she couldn't spot her target even though there was little to no light. She was about to respond to her sister when she heard, something. The sound was low, almost infrasonic. Her eyes were drawn back to the Minotaur as it picked itself up from the mud bath. It went to roar out before it to heard the mysterious low end sound. She noticed the confused look on The Bull's face. The sound steadily grew louder. It was then that she spotted something else. The puddles around the battlefield began to ripple with every step. As the sound got louder, the ripples were more pronounced. "Athena, what is making that sound? Its to low even for the mighty war drums of old."
Athena pondered on the question from Artemis for a moment, "My best guess is that it is an impact tremor. From sheer weight on two legs."
The two remaining harpies screeched as they flew away from something in the driection of their now dead flock member. Meanwhile Artemis seemed slightly paler at Athena's guess, "You mean that?"
Athena was quick to nod as she kept an eye on the confused Minotaur, "Yes, it is here. We have its full attention. And by judging the sounds of its steps. That little harpy was barely more then a snack. Get ready sister. Its a lot bigger then I thought it might be."
Artemis quickly became serious a drew another arrow. Athena returned to position of guarding the tree Artemis was in. Now the Minotaur was usually scared of nothing. It would charge at everything and everyone. But it was also used to being bigger then anything that it would attack. So it started to charge the direction of the sound. Roaring as it dissappeared into the tree line it would kill this newcomer.
The Goddesses soon heard a new sound. It sound like the car had been issued another moment of punishment. The lighting flashed over head revealing a silhouette of a large head and something in motion. The moving object was soon to be the Minotaur crashing back to the ground in front of them. It was soon followed but the car once more. This time with a large dent in its side from whatever launched it and then crashing into The Bull. The two legged cow bellowed in pain as it was nailed by the car.
The sight infront of them was quickly forgotten as they both heard a new deep end growl. It sounded like an oversized crocodile on steriods. A head slowly appeared in the tree tops near their small clearing. Another lighting bolt flashed revealing that the creature's head as it swallowed the last bit of the harpy down. This raised another question to the Goddesses. Normaly when a beast of the Underworld is killed they simply fall into dust to reform. The fact this new animal could eat them would need futher looking into. But for now focus on the walking house with teeth.
The animal slowly stepped into the clearing. A low growl emanating from its throat. Its eyes settled on the slowly freeing Minotaur that had just attacked it. As it slowly walked out Athena took note of its size. Her analytical mind able to caculate the height of 7.6 at the hips. It walked almost hunched over to where the head was roughly the same height at its hips. Its skull alone was almost 2 meters long. Leading a body that looked to be 19 meters in length. She really hoped this was full grown. Long arms were tucked against its chest keeping its three fingered and thumb hands away from the ground. The lighting flashes also revealled a sliverish white hide.
The manmade dino slowly kept walking towards the walking cow man. Its eyes looking at the monster in a curious wonder. The Bull roared out as it stood. It seemed to challenge the hybrid beast as it grabbed the driveshaft from the crumpled mass of car for a weapon. The dinosaur's eyes quickly narrowed as the approach stopped. A low growl coming from its throat. The bull roared and charged the much larger opponent, fully lost to rage. However the cow man wanted things to go, didn't happen. When the bull swung, the beast simply moved its head out of the way. Then with a sickening bone crunch sound, Brought its massive jaw over the head and shoulders of the now quiet and limp Minotaur. They were both stunned. All that barvado from the Bull, and it was crunched in one bite. The dino dropped the Bull seemingly not interested in eating it at the moment.
Athena was the first to shake off the shock off from the anti-climatic battle. Keeping her spear and shield loose but at the ready, she slowly approached the predator. She didn't get very close before the animal turned its head towards her. Showing that it knew she was there. The curious feeling was back as it looked at The Goddess of Wisdom. Then its massive head turned again. Staring right at Artemis in her tree spot. The Goddess of the Hunt was bewildered. How could it see this well in the dark? The animal seemed curious as to the two of them. And since it behaved like a very smart animal instead of mindless manmade killing machine. Prehaps it would understand her power to speak to animals.
The two approached slowly. With a beast as big as this, they didn't want to spook it into attacking them. Unfortunatly for them a large lighting flashed through the sky. The whole area lit up like day time, revealing the spear and bow the two of them had been carrying. The beast's eyes narrowed as it roared out, seeming to recognize the weapons somehow. Now it was on, and the two knew it. With a large stomping first step the hybrid dino crushed the remains of The Bull under its foot. Quickly reducing it to dust, signalling that it was dead by monster standards.
Artemis was the first to respond to the animal's charge. Quickly she drew an arrow laced with a powerful sleeping drug. She released the arrow aiming for the creature's neck. Its eyes were focused on Athena so the arrow was invisible to it. But that's when Artemis recieved a surprise. The plates on the back of its neck bounced the arrow off. The result cause her to curse in ancient greek. This thing's neck and back were platted in heavy osteoderms. Not to mention she now had its attention. The animal charged forward ignoring Athena for the moment. Plus it helped that she jumped out of its way, letting it ram into the tree behind her.
Only the tree didn't even slow it down really. The dinosaur simply lowered it head and let its bone crest/horns over its eyes take the blow. The tree bowled over like a flower, forcing Artemis to relocate to a different one. Athena quickly thrust out with her spear hoping the animal would back up. Instead it turned away bring its tail in a swipe that made Athena block with her sheild. Hades this thing was strong she noted as it forced her feet into the ground she stood upon. Her boots sinking into the loose mud even worse.
Its wasn't any better for Artemis at the head. The tree shot seemed to have made the dino even more pissed off as a combination of teeth and claws came after her. She had to keep jumping from branch to branch to avoid the inraged animal. Finally she jumped to a new tree as the beast smashed its head through the trunk. Bringing down its second tree. But this worked to their favor as Athena was now able to sheild bash it in the knee. Causing the animal to drop and for them to fall back and regroup a little.
"This is insane Athena, I've hunted everything that can hunt you. But the way this thing moves is unreal. Plus armor, claws, a strong jaw and keen senses. It's almost like training hunts with my girls. Only with our lives on the line."
"I know Artemis I know. At this rate capture may not be possible. Its rage seem to have kept building the more we attacked it."
Their conversation was cut short as the animal roared out breaking a third tree. Plus it was the one they had hid behind to try and talk. Artemis quickly shoved Athena out of the way. But not quickly enough to dodge all of the falling branches herself before the tree came crashing down on her. The animal seemed to think that was the end of her as it turned to Athena once more. But she was more then ready. This round she was going to be the attacker.
Athena was quick and precise as she ran up and began to thrust her spear at the enraged one. She spotted a clawed hand coming for her and quickly batted it away with a strong shield bash. The animal roared out, its jaws wide, the intent was clear. Thinking quickly Athena raised her sheild so the animal's mouth was caught trying to bite through her shield. Athena smirked. She had it now. With a twist and show of her godly strength, she forced the animal's head to tilt as it grunted in anger. Still trying to bite the shield in half.
Its eyes suddenly widened as it felt two distinct strikes to the side of the neck. Moving one of its eyes it spotted Artemis standing on top of third falling tree, bow drawn. While she looked a little roughed up and bloody from the encounter she had still accomplished her goal. Two powerful sleep drug filled arrows, deep into its hides. The effects were instant as the animal gurgled out one last growl before falling over. Completely out cold.
Athena nodded in approval to the downed creature. Now they could get some answers. But in the morning as the rain was returning now and they could both use a little rest now. While they were Goddesses, the hybrid was much stronger then expected. But now with the sleeping hybrid safely out cold they could move it to a very special forest. Artemis had a forest set up behind her temple. While not a vast expanse, it held the strongest calming aura in existence. Both predator and prey would live in peace there so Artemis and Athena by extension could study animals without risk. It hadn't been used since the time of Christopher Columbus and the new continent. So all the species of nymph that maintained the grounds were giddy at the word that they might be getting a guest to look after for awhile.
Artemis drug herself next to her sister as she sipped on a little nectar to heal her wounds, "Thank Zeus that is over. Now to gently get it to my sacred woods so it can rest in peace and not cause to much havoc. Plus we need to start a list of crimes against nature for this Dr. Wu. No animal needs to be turned into a weapon like this."
Athena nodded in agreement before the three of them where wrapped in golden light and vanished back to Olympus. The rain returned moments later washing all the ground markings of the fight away. Concealing the fact the a dinosaur was loose on the mainland.