AN 7/4/15: Hey so I think I forgot to mention this when I posted it but I have a link to the awesome person whose artwork Allison's necklace is based off of on my profile. That dude has some other cool necklaces and stuff too. Anyway, I wanted to mention that I have been working on the second installment of this series, but that is slow going. To help get more work done when I am stumped on the second I have been working a bit on the third. I also started a kind of spin-off, but I'm not sure of that will make an appearance for a long time, as in not until after the base series is done (aka after the fifth book is out generally speaking). Thanks for those who already made a comment in response to my question, it helps a ton to get feedback from the awesome people who are actually the ones reading this story. I believe that is all for now, enjoy your weekend!
"Um, did you just call that dog your son?" Percy asked nervously, clutching his pen.
"Chimera, dear." She corrected. Well.. Shiz. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make."
"Not really.." I muttered.
Creepy lady rolled up her sleeves to reveal scaly, green skin. When she smiled her teeth were now full out fangs. Her pupils now looked sideways, like a reptile.
The Chihuahua/Chimera barked louder and with each bark it grew. At first it became the size of maybe a Great Dane, then a lion. The bark had turned into a roar at this point. The poor little boy screamed and his parents pulled him to the locked exit, desperately trying to open up the doors. The park ranger stood by them, paralyzed, staring at the beast.
The Chimera's back was now rubbing against the roof of the Arch. Its lion head had a blood-caked mane and it sported the body of a giant, mangy goat. A ten-foot-long diamondback was whipping around as its tail. The glint of its rhinestone collar, still on it, caught my attention. It was almost like it was trying to be some type of show dog, as if. The plate on the collar was now easily visible:
Chimera
Rabid, Fire-Breathing, Poisonous
If found, please contact Tartarus- EXT. 954
"Hey, Perce, have a phone on you? I think we found their lost mutt." Percy looked at me, as if my comment was totally uncalled for. "Hey, honest question." He just shook his head.
"Fine. You get those people out of here, I'll cover you. Once they're out we can get out ourselves." I whispered as to not alert Creepy Lady and Mutt.
"Are you crazy? You don't even have a weapon with you, no. You protect, I'll cover."
I was about to protest but Creepy Lady chose to speak after she was done watching the mortals panic. "Be honored, Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test heroes with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"
"Just our luck." I said under my breath. Then I heard Percy speak.
"Isn't that a kind of anteater?" I resisted the urge to hit my head on the wall. As it was, Echidna howled - her reptilian face turning brown and green, eyes narrowing with rage. I wonder if it can go purple? It would have been funny to see, had she not been wanting to break our necks. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"
The Chimera charged, its lion teeth gnashing and snake tail flailing. Percy and I split apart, leaping aside to avoid the bite. I heard a distinct snap of something as the Chimera face-planted into the wall. When it pulled back I saw a crumpled security camera fall to the ground. Percy uncapped his sword and took a swing but missed. I ended up next to the family and park ranger, all of which were now screaming, trying to pry open the emergency doors. I couldn't let them get hurt, let alone the little boy. I activated sword, relishing in holding it after so long.
"Move!" I shouted at them, getting them out of the way. I heard the sounds of battle back where Percy and the Chimera were but I had my task. I slashed at the door, cutting off the handle and kicked out its opposite, causing the door to swing open.
"GO!" I yelled, scooping up the little boy and thrusting him into his father's arms. I turned back to the fight to see Percy dodge a column of flame, the sound of retreating, panicked steps getting fainter. Percy dove away from the explosion as the carpet burst into flames behind him. I could feel the heat all the way from where I stood. There was now a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, the melting framework catching fire and metal steaming. Wonderful.
Percy took another slash at the Chimera, his blade glancing off the collar.
"Watch the tail!" I yelled, but it was too late, he wasn't fast enough to jump away from the snake head as he regained his balance. The serpent head bit into his calf and he stumbled. I cursed and activated my necklace. He had managed to fend off the monster for this long, which was very impressive, but now we needed to end it.
I yelled, "Hey! Show mutt, over here!" I admit, that may not have been my best insult, but it got the Chimera's attention nonetheless. It turned to face me and unleashed a blast of fire. I rolled out of the way and threw my dagger at the beast. The knife buried itself into its side with a satisfying roar from the Chimera. It lunged at me, loathing in its eyes. I ducked and slashed upward with my sword, right at its face. I cut a gash in the monster's muzzle and looked back to see where Percy was. He was weaponless at the edge of the hole leading into the void. He looked to be in really bad pain, clutching his chest and leg limp under him, face chalk-white. The venom, gods damn it, he needs water!
"They don't make heroes like they used to, eh, son?" Echidna laughed, looking at Percy.
"Shut up already lady!" I yelled. Echidna growled at me as the Chimera started stalking me, strategically keeping itself in the perfect position to just as easily attack Percy. I tried to edge closer to him but it seemed like it was in no hurry to finish him off now that it thought he was beaten. It was just keeping me away to toy with us.
"Percy, jump in the water!" I yelled over to him. That was the only way he could live with that venom still in his system.
"You should have died long ago, young one!" Echidna snarled at me, eyeing the sword in my hand. "You just can't seem to stay away now can you?"
"Percy, just do it already! I'll be fine, you've done enough. Leave the rest to me. Heal yourself now or you will die and I swear to all the gods if you do I will resurrect you just to kill you again for being an idiot. Jump!"
Echidna laughed, this time a harsher, more taunting laugh. "She is right, if you are the son of Poseidon," she hissed. "You would not fear the water. Do as she says and jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that the water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword, prove your bloodline. Leave the girl, she was meant to die long ago anyway." Percy looked like he was about to pass out. He had done enough already, fighting the Chimera long enough to let me get those people out of here, even landing some hits on it. That was tremendous for a fight like this.
"You have no faith," Echidna told him as I dodged a column of flame when I got too close to him for the Chimera's liking. "You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Your friend here has already learned that lesson the hard way. Better you die now, the gods are faithless. The venom is in your heart." Percy look a unsteady step back, toward the gaping hole in the monument. The Chimera turned, getting ready to launch another column of flame at him, its tail keeping me at bay.
"Die, faithless one." Echidna rasped.
"Gods damn it Percy! Just jump or I will shove you off!" I shouted over the roar of the flames sent Percy's way. I saw him mutter something, sending me one last sorrowful glance. Then he jumped over the edge of the monument, clothes on fire, venom coursing through his veins, plummeting hundreds of feet to the river.
Echidna let out a vicious laugh, then turned to me.
"You see? Even the one who was raised as a brother to you abandons you. You have nothing left. Why don't you just die peacefully now and return to your old family? Yes, I know who you are. The gods may be blind to it but I see the truth. Doesn't it just burn knowing that you don't belong? The gods don't care about you, not even your own father. He sent the Fury after you. You are just an echo of someone who should have died long ago. You have no reason to be here." She hissed.
There was truth in her words too, everything that had mattered to me was long gone. Only Chiron and Percy were there for me now. Sally: the only other person in this life that gave a damn about what happened to me, was gone. I then grew angry. It did always feel maddeningly wrong to be here, but I couldn't let her go and kill more people, to go after the quest group.
I pulled the remaining shadows in on me, curling them around myself like a cool mist. I recalled my dagger with a flick of my wrist from the Chimera, eliciting a noise of pain from the Chimera, activating it from its necklace form again. I wielded it with my sword, one in each hand. It had been a long time since I fought like this in a monster battle and it felt good.
"You don't know me, Echidna. Like I would 'die peacefully' being eaten by your little pet here and let you two live to hurt more people anyway. You are just giving me all the more reason to live right now. You are supposed to be nonexistent to the world yourself, hag, so don't talk." I ran at the Chimera, jumping aside to let a blast of flames fly past me, not stopping when part of the flames hit my shoulder and I kicked a piece of wreckage, probably the security camera, sending it careening into the Chimera's leg, just above the hoof. I switched hands, my dagger now in my dominant. I threw it at the Chimera's mouth as it opened to launch more flames. It managed to successfully cut into it and lodge down its throat.
"Wonder how that stygian iron must taste like right now." I taunted, smirking. I closed the distance between me and the choking mutt, slicing off its snake tail as it tried to swipe me off my feet or bite me. I dove under the best, just nearly avoiding a spluttered breath of fire, and drive my sword upward into its exposed underbelly, turning to avoid its hoof.
The Chimera let out an ear-splitting cry, the stygian iron helping destroy its life force even faster than normal demigod metals. I was rewarded with a shower of gold monster dust. I picked up my dagger and turned to Echidna. She had a beyond angry look on her ugly face.
"You.." She seethed. "You will pay for that. Just you wait, Cooper. Watch your back. You are lucky I am only permitted to test you heroes with my son, otherwise you would be long gone."
"Then go already, nobody wants you here." She hissed, sending one last look of pure and utter loathing and disappeared. I sighed in relief and sank to the floor, catching my breath, but I couldn't stay long. The flames were inching their way closer. I winced as I moved my shoulder, I didn't fancy getting roasted in this metal can. I looked at the pile of monster dust, glad that there was one less problem in my life at the moment.
I began to stand up when something caught my eye. On the floor among the remains of the Chimera were two teeth. They were canine teeth from the Chimera's lion head. I picked them up and pocketed them. I looked around at the wreckage of the fight, flames and melting metal everywhere. There was a charred smell to the air and the acrid smoke was filling the tin can that used to be the observation deck.
I gently rubbed where my cuts were bandaged. They must have gotten disturbed by all the fighting, as I saw a slight patch of red beginning to form on my shoulder, right by the burn. The fabric of my shirt was smoking a bit too. Why did it have to be a hellhound that got me? Those take forever to heal. I put away my weapons and turned to the exit.
It was getting extremely hot in here. I was surprised it had lasted this long. I walked into the stairwell after readjusting the steel knife in my boot, the stairwell being the only remotely dark place safe from the flame's illumination. I took a deep breath and shadow traveled to the bottom of the monument, reappearing in the shadow of a news van. I quickly hurried away from the vehicle, getting lost in the crowd. I couldn't afford it if someone recognized me or got me on film.
The sun was already setting, the flames of the Arch matching the skyline. I started looking around for Percy and the others. By now Percy would be healed and hopefully out of the water, preferable with Annabeth and Grover. Newscasters were rambling about how this was "Probably not a terrorist attack" and so on to the cameras. They also were including some kind of eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch. Always know how to make an impression, don't you Percy? Now it was just a matter of finding the others before the train left the station. I searched for a few minutes before I heard footsteps running up behind me. I turned, clutching my bracelet and was tackled by a hug.
"Ally! You're okay! I shouldn't have left you up there." Percy spilled out. I gently removed his arm from where my burn was and I saw Annabeth and Grover running up behind him. Percy still smelled like he had spent too much time by a mechanical fire, but he was okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little burn. Are you all healed?" He nodded, quickly taking a step back and proceeding to check me over for damage. He poked at the bandage visible on my arm near the burn that was now faintly red.
"They opened up again, didn't they?" Annabeth asked, pulling out some ambrosia from her backpack and handing it to me. I took it gratefully, the warm taste of my mother's caramel filling my mouth. "Will help the burn too."
"Hey, where did you get those wicked weapons you used come from?" Percy asked me once he was sure I didn't have any other damage. Grover and Annabeth looked up at the question. Damn it, Percy, you just had to bring that up in front of them.
"Um, what?"
"You know, I saw you using that awesome sword and knife. I thought you left your sword back at the train."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Percy." I sent him a look that said later. He luckily got the hint and shushed up.
"Come on, we need to get back to the train." I insisted, finishing off the ambrosia. I started dragging them back to the train station.
On our way we passed a particularly enthusiastic newscaster with overdone makeup. "That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has just learned that the boy who might have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. The boy is believed to be traveling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of the boy; Percy Jackson."
"And we're walking from makeup lady, briskly walking." I muttered as we picked up the pace, quickly making our way as far from the Arch as possible.
"First things first," Percy told us. "We've got to ditch town."