A/N: It's pretty late, so I only took a cursory glance over the text during my review. If I made any extensive grammatical errors, and they honestly made reading the fic difficult, please feel free to let me know. I'll try and fix it as soon as possible. Anyway, here it is. Sorry for the wait, but I hope the length made up for it. A big thank you goes out to not for granted for providing me with a extremely useful original character.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't believe I will ever own the series. I can only claim rights to my ideas.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Three days had passed since Percy and Thalia had been caught making out in Cabin Three, and the son of Poseidon was growing mad. They had both been sentenced to their respective cabins and were only released at certain times. The two of them had clean up duty after dinner, which was the only time they were allotted to spend together.
The thing that had Percy the most upset was the fact that they weren't permitted to join the chariot race. All of their friends were entering. Annabeth was racing with her brother Malcolm, the Stoll siblings were teaming up, and Beckendorf was participating with one of his sisters. Today was the day of the race, and the two children of the Big Three were told they had to stick around in the stands. They were expected to clean up after the other demigods.
For some reason, the daughter of Zeus avoided talking in depth with him. Their conversations were short, needless, and brief. She hadn't had any desire to speak with him after recent events. Percy didn't know why he had kissed her. Perhaps it had just been a combination of his hormones and his nerves that willed him to do so. He really hoped he hadn't made her feel uncomfortable.
It was no secret that he had a slight crush on the daughter of Zeus. What was not to like about her? She was funny, smart, cute, and she had the most adorable freckles. He liked the way her bright blue eyes lit up whenever she flashed her rare, joyful smile—all right, so maybe it wasn't a slight crush. But, he was just a teenage boy. He found plenty of girls pretty. Annabeth, for instance. Annabeth was pretty.
Thalia's indifference towards him was beginning to drive him mad. She could just straight out tell him she wasn't interested, and he wouldn't be as confused. It hurt, of course, but he had made the mistake of trying to practically force a kiss on her.
On the other hand, she had seemed to like it quite a bit. He recalled the way she tugged his bottom lip between her straight, flawless teeth, soothing the bite with an alluring flick of her tongue. He liked the way his arms felt around her. He had felt her heartbeat hovering just above his own, and just thinking about it was causing his to race faster.
Percy shook his head, smirking. He was acting ridiculous. A sudden thought occurred to him. Would his mother be informed about this whole situation? His eyes widened. She would never talk to him again! He was very close with his mother and they got along great with one another, but he knew the news was going to break her heart. Sally really liked Thalia, too.
It was his entire fault. He wished he could walk over to Cabin One and apologize, but that would get them into even more trouble. That was the last thing he wanted. Thalia already had cleaning duty with him. She hadn't even initiated the kiss. She hadn't turned it down, either. He would just have to see her and try to talk to her during the chariot race.
Percy sighed heavily, folding the last of his camp shirts and placing it in his dresser.
His ears perked up as he overheard a loud bellow from outside of his cabin. It almost sounded as if it were coming from Cabin One. Thalia's cabin.
Stop thinking about her.
Steeling his nerves, he marched over to the far side of his cabin and pressed his ear against the wall. He wouldn't be able to make out any words, but he wanted to make sure that his friend wasn't being attacked or anything. With a frown, he recalled when Luke had allowed a hellhound to enter camp. It had been after him. The demigod glanced down at the palm of his hand, filling with anger at the sight of the white, fading scar in the very center.
Could the son of Hermes be attempting to harm Thalia? The thought alone made his blood boil.
Percy knew very well that Thalia didn't belong to him. He also knew that she wouldn't like the idea of being owned in the first place. She was her own person. She had displayed her strength to him several times over, and impressed him. And yet, strangely enough, he couldn't quite ditch the urge to protect her. He wanted to keep her from monsters, trouble, and the other dangers of the world. Most importantly, he wanted to protect her from Luke.
Luke had poisoned Thalia's tree. The son of Poseidon knew he did. There was no other explanation; rather, there wasn't another worth looking into. Who else would have done such a thing? The son of Hermes must have known that wounding the tree would have a painful effect on Thalia. He poisoned the pine to hurt her. Percy was absolutely certain that he would attempt to hurt the daughter of Zeus again.
Trying his hardest to suppress his feelings of anger and distress, the son of Poseidon encouraged himself to continue listening through the wall.
Percy heard a man's voice, deep and strong. The man sounded like he was issuing a lecture, and his voice raised every time Thalia dared to interrupt him. Who was in her cabin? He sounded too human to be a creature, and (thankfully) too deep to be Luke. So, who did that leave?
The son of Poseidon thought about her father, Zeus. It could easily be him, right? The demigod groaned as a frustrating realization broke through his dense head. If Thalia's father was in there and obviously knew of their kiss, Sally had been informed as well. Percy paled. He really hoped no one had told Poseidon of the event. He had an unsure relationship with his dad as it was. He didn't need his mistakes complicating things.
Mistake.
No, he told himself, shaking his head. When he had kissed Thalia, it had been anything but a mistake. He had wanted it, and the only reason he regretted it was because it had placed strain on their friendship. If he could go back in time and do it all over, he knew he would kiss her again.
Loud footsteps drew him from his thoughts, and the demigod looked up to see a smiling Cyclops standing in the doorway. No, not a Cyclops. Tyson. His half-brother.
Percy tried for a smile, but it was obviously pained. He hated to admit it, but he was disappointed in his father. Because of Poseidon, he had a monster for a brother. The campers would no longer view him as a hero. He would be known as the freaky son of the Sea God with a one-eyed, monstrous younger sibling. It was enough to make him sick.
For the past three days, he had been bullied and jerked around by many of the campers. Some children of Aphrodite assaulted him verbally, while the offspring of Ares took a more violent route. Percy was going crazy beneath all of the pressure. He felt like he no longer had any friends. Thalia hadn't talked to him, not that she really had time to. Annabeth didn't want to be around him when Tyson was present, even though she had never said so out loud. Grover was gone, probably in trouble.
"You are upset," Tyson stated simply, looking a bit saddened himself. It took Percy aback. "I may be a monster, but I will not be bad. I will be good. I want to be a good monster."
"You…you aren't a monster, Tyson."
"Yes," Tyson asserted, nodding. "I make you mad."
"Not you," Percy argued, biting his bottom lip. He quickly stopped once his mind drifted off to the feel of Thalia's lips. Now was not the time. "I'm upset about something else. I'm not mad at you, Tyson."
The young Cyclops appeared unconvinced, but he glanced down at his brother desperately. "Are you sure?"
"I'm positive," Percy assured, finally discovering his smile. "Now, let's head to the chariot race."
"Yay!" Tyson cheered, clapping. A thunderous sound emitted from the action. "I will race with friends!"
Percy turned to him, eyes wide in shock. "Wait…who?"
Thalia turned her ashamed gaze to the floor of her cabin, trying to look anywhere but at her disappointed father. Not only had Tantalus awarded them with cleaning up after everyone else, but he had also informed their parents of the incident. She hadn't really expected her father to show up, but he scared the living daylights out of her when he popped out of nowhere while she had been showering.
Thankfully, even though he had been infuriated, he had been thoughtful enough to leave briefly so she could dress. She sat on the edge of her bed—which Zeus had made sure to provide in her tiny alcove—clad in a pair of running shorts and a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt.
He had stopped lecturing about three minutes prior, but he continued to look down on her in that annoying way only fathers could do. Zeus gave the worst lectures as well. He was so professional and unquestionable that it was difficult to find any faults in his argument. Every piece of evidence he provided was accurate and true, supporting whatever position he had taken. Thalia wished she were more like him in that sense. Instead, she argued like her mother had—irrationally.
No matter what she retaliated with, her father could say one word to make her feel so much worse about everything. She was angry at herself for upsetting him. She had reacted childishly and immaturely, and she couldn't help but feel sincerely apologetic. Despite the fact that they had their rocky moments, Zeus was someone that she couldn't bear to disappoint.
"Dad," she began, her voice shaky and weaker than his. "I'm sorry."
Zeus grunted, clearly not wanting to hear any excuses. He glanced to his tall, broad statue in the center of the cabin. Distaste shown on his features, and she almost didn't believe what she was seeing. Part of her hoped he would change the awkward subject and comment on the statue, but she knew he wasn't going to.
"You displayed extremely rash behavior, daughter," he said. "How can I expect your apology to be anything more than impulsive?"
Thalia squeezed her eyes shut. "It's not impulsive. I mean it. We didn't mean for it to happen. It just did."
Zeus scoffed. "Why did it happen?"
"He and I were, you know," she stammered, opening her eyes to meet his. "We were in his cabin…alone, and one thing just led to another. I tripped and we fell to the floor. We were kind of in the position, and we just…"
"It will not happen again," he asserted, his tone scaring her. She nodded hurriedly, wanting desperately to end this conversation between them. "Tantalus and Dionysus have been instructed to inform me on your every activity in camp."
"That's kind of creepy, but—"
"Thalia," he warned. "Do you understand me?"
Yeah, you're speaking English.
Thalia repressed the sarcastic remark, biting down on her bottom lip. She nodded. "I understand."
Zeus sighed, as if a great burden had just been lifted from his shoulders. "Good girl," he said, nodding. "Now…that is not the only reason I have come here."
His eyes were unwilling to meet hers, and he suddenly appeared gruffer and more exhausted. The stern lines of his face came into play, dancing across his weathered skin.
Thalia knew that face. He always looked like that when he was about to break horrible news to her. Bracing herself for the worse, she pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned back against the headboard. He glanced over at her in confusion before he took a seat on the edge of her bed.
"What's going on?" she willed herself to ask.
Her father glanced to the opposite side of the room and shook his head. "Never mind, Thalia, I will take my leave."
"No!" his daughter leaned up from her position and stared up at him. "You had something to tell me."
"I fear I do not have the right to do so, as it does not concern me directly," he said, his voice saddened and regretful. "Even the King of the Gods must respect law."
"Why can't you just tell me? It has you upset, so it probably does concern you."
Zeus flashed a small, fleeting smile, glancing down at his lap. "You carry a strong argument, but even you cannot influence me to bypass—"
He stopped talking when she rolled her eyes and looked away, but she didn't notice. She was absolutely infuriated. He couldn't just nearly tell her something and then decided not to. That drove her crazy! Did he not trust her enough? Did it have something to do with the mark Hera gave her? The thought of the goddess caused her to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She didn't have the guts to ask him about the mark. It would only serve to piss her off even more when he refused to discuss the matter.
"Stop pouting, Tally Bear."
Thalia glared at him. She hadn't been called that since she left home. Her mother and father thought it was the funniest thing in the world, and it irritated her. She looked away from him when he cracked a smirk, finding the wall much more interesting. Thalia heard Zeus sigh next to her, but didn't bother meeting his eyes.
"I tried," he grumbled to himself, but she had heard it. It only caused her to scowl even harder. "I must take my leave. My duties shall no longer be neglected." When she didn't respond, he stood directly in front of her. "I am sorry that I am not able to tell you what I had wished to, but you must realize what I would be risking. I swore upon the River Styx, and breaking that curse would only serve to harm you."
"You've broken it before," she argued. "You knocked Mom up."
Zeus frowned. "And at what price? You live a haunted life. You will never have the type of life your mother and I desired for you—"
"I'm sorry about the cabin incident, I swear that it will never happen again, and I understand that you are unable to tell me what you wanted," Thalia interrupted. "I think it's best if you leave now," she said curtly.
Zeus glowered, but instructed her to look away. She shut her eyes, seeing the bright white light shine through her closed lids. When he was gone, she opened them once again and ran a hand through her messy hair. Thalia felt bad about dismissing him like that, but she didn't wish to lose her temper. Even if he was her father, she had a feeling he could be tempted to annihilate her if she let her anger decide her word choice.
The demigoddess stood, pacing the length of the cabin. The ever-present statue of her proud father in the center of the cabin never ceased to bother her, but she forced herself not to focus on it. She had always felt as if it were watching her. The statue was a representation of all she had ever loathed in her father, as well as in herself. Instead of the Zeus she preferred seeing, she saw the other side of him—the arrogant, unaccepting form of the god. He usually only showed that side of himself to her whenever he was angry, but she never wanted to see it. It made her feel as if she were undeserving of her parentage.
If she were being truthful with herself, she didn't feel like a daughter of Zeus at all. Children of her father were supposed to be mighty and notorious for their skills and battle. They showed outstanding leadership qualities. They were good-looking and charming, beautiful and strong-willed.
She couldn't see any of those traits in herself. She was athletic and a good runner, but she wasn't remarkably strong. She could hold her ground in a great number of battles, but so could every other demigod. Thalia wasn't as stunning as her older sister Helen of Troy, nor was she was brave and renowned as Hercules.
The daughter of Zeus scoffed, shaking her head. She was being stupid. Instead of dwelling on insignificant insecurities, she should have been getting ready for the chariot races. Thalia dug her phone from her bag and cursed when she saw the time. She had a total of five minutes to be out on the field.
Thalia rushed through her belongings, searching for something to wear for the event. She slipped on a pair of ripped black jeans, socks, and stepped into her combat boots. The demigoddess stuffed her phone into her pocket, and sprinted out of her cabin.
By the time she arrived to the chariot field, her face was a snowy white. Her cheeks were tinted with blue, and her teeth chattered. Sweat ran down her face, and it only served to cool her further. It was too cold for any athletic activity, really, and the weather affected her more than any other demigod. Thalia wished it were warmer. She understood that it was spring time, but that didn't mean Dionysus couldn't block the cold out.
The sky churned noisily, and the daughter of Zeus instantly glanced up in bewilderment. She watched as the clouds shifted and dissipated, making room for a bright and joyous sun. Warmth enveloped the land, and the sunlight lit her damp face. It was no longer as cold outside, although some fog continued to linger. A sleek black eyebrow arched as misty azure hues studied the drifting clouds.
"They don't call you the daughter of Zeus for nothing."
Thalia didn't so much as flinch at the sound of Tantalus' jibe. She remained undeterred, gazing up into her father's domain. Had she really just done such a thing?
The new activities director approached until he was standing in line with her, crossing his skinny arms over his quivering chest. "I had feared the chariot races were going to be canceled, but since you kindly improved the weather for the rest of us…"
"Hold your thanks," she stated unfeelingly, not bothering to look over at him. "It isn't like I meant to. And, believe me, if I had known I was capable of doing that, I would have chosen to bear the cold."
Tantalus snickered. "That's right. You surely aren't looking forward to cleaning up after everyone, even though it is what you deserve."
"It isn't your right to issue punishment," she argued. "You're the activities director."
His attitude really dug under her skin. Thalia wished he would just hold his tongue and go make himself useful—maybe leaping off of a cliff or two.
"That is very true, daughter of Zeus. However, Dionysus is in charge of the entire camp, and I do believe he gave me full permission to distribute any punishment I see fit. Don't you remember?"
Thalia clenched her jaw in anger as she recalled their conversation with the wine god. Dionysus had studied her for too long, not bothering to speak a word to her. He only eyed Percy briefly, before he turned to Tantalus and told him to punish them in whatever way his withered heart desired. She hated the way her half-brother behaved. He was just like a child!
Tantalus didn't wait for her answer, and continued to prattle. "I order you to see to it that all audience members find pleasing seats, and that the pesky son of Barnacle Beard—"
"Would you like to insult the world while you're at it, Tantalus?" she countered, cutting him off. "I'm sure everyone in the fucking universe would love to hear you complain about them. You spit out plenty of insults as it is. What harm could a few more do?"
Tantalus' pale face reddened in moments, and he seethed visibly. "You—"
"Ooh, yay!" Thalia cheered mockingly, turning her head to smirk at him. "I get insults, too!"
"You're no better than your arrogant father!" the director snarled, before immediately composing his features.
The sky rumbled, but not in a threatening way, and it brought a sneer to Thalia's face. Her father was probably laughing from his throne, cracking snide remarks while gesturing towards to camp's new jester.
"Care to insult him anymore?" the daughter of Zeus snapped, faking her anger. In reality, she was trying her hardest not to laugh at the look on his face. "I wouldn't if I were you. He's sounding pretty angry."
Zeus wasn't necessarily the strongest god in existence, but he was the mightiest of the Olympians. Unlike the others, he wasn't afraid to assert his power and dominance. He flaunted his domain and its impressiveness, with no fear of appearing imperious.
Tantalus grumbled beneath his breath as he turned to leave her. "Rotten kids…she most likely acts more spoiled than she tastes…self-centered…"
He was thinking about the way she tasted? He was either a pervert or a cannibal, and she didn't think either of them was very appealing.
Shaking off her disgust, she sprinted to the group of campers gathering near the stone steps. The demigods were almost frenzied, their voices overpowering the sound of the neighing horses. Hundreds of plump, lazy birds filled the trees, squawking annoyingly. Thalia was the daughter of Zeus, but she had never heard a bird that sounded quite like that. It was nails scraping across the plain of a chalkboard.
Thalia waved the spectators into the stands, distractedly staring at the new track. The children of Hephaestus had somehow—she didn't know exactly how, as she had not been allowed out of her cabin very much—plowed a large oval track in the grassy field. She didn't like the positioning of the track. She thought it was much too close to the woods, and spare arrows would probably fly in from the archery range.
Tantalus sat at the highest stair, smirking down at her, leaning his thin body forward and setting his elbows down on his bony knees. Satyrs crowded around him—not within reach, but within talking distance. Dryads littered some of the bottommost steps, giggling as the satyrs above them attempted to pick at them. The daughter of Zeus instructed the campers to fill up the rest of the seats, with the exception of the spots closest to their new director. Some of the demigods were forced to take seats on the floor, but they weren't complaining.
Thalia felt Percy walk up beside her, but she blushed and sat down on the cool grass. He shrugged, but didn't stop pursuing her. The son of Poseidon sat directly next to her, his thigh rubbing against hers as he lowered himself to the ground. The demigoddess edged herself subtly away from his leg.
"Why have you been avoiding me?"
The question caught her off guard. "I…I haven't."
Percy smiled, rolling his eyes. He attempted to play the situation off, but Thalia could see the amount of rejection glinting in his sea green eyes. As a sign of comfort, she scooted further towards him. He flashed a look of confusion—clearly searching for answers—but she ignored it, choosing to watch the competitors align.
Annabeth rode in a simple, yet sophisticated gray-themed chariot. Malcolm stood beside her, toting a javelin. The blonde demigoddess looked over to the sitting demigods, and Thalia felt a smile drift onto her usually stern face when the girl waved. Thank the gods, Tantalus had the decency to avoid telling the campers of the true reason she and Percy were punished. The wicked director had said that they were in trouble for skipping the meal.
Connor and Travis, of course, were racing together in a shoddy-looking chariot. Clarisse and one of her brothers sneered down at the rest of them as they settled at the starting line. A pair in particular took the daughter of Zeus off guard. Beckendorf was riding with Tyson? When in the world did that happen? The Cyclops looked innocently happy, and waved to any and every camper his eyes met.
Thalia found her attention drifting away. She didn't find any competitions particularly interesting when she wasn't allowed to participate. She wasn't sure what was going on at the starting line. All she knew was that the commotion of the excited demigods, combined with the screeching of the birds, was giving her a major headache.
"Charioteers!" Tantalus cried from the stands. "Attend your mark!"
With a wave of his bony hand, the starting signal was dropped. The horses neighed loudly, and it was enough noise to muffle the sounds of the birds. The chariots raced forward, and the Apollo chariot spun out almost immediately. Connor and Travis dared to laugh at the misfortune, and it came back to bite them in the rear of their chariot when they crashed. Percy cracked a small smile, and Thalia instantly guessed that one of the fallen horses had cried out something humorous.
Flesh!
Thalia glanced over at the son of Poseidon in amusement. When he shot her a questioning look, she rolled her eyes. "Come on, man. Knock it off."
"Knock what off?"
We shall feast on the blood of heroes!
She had no other logical explanation for the voice, other than that it had been Percy, but she had her eyes on his face. He hadn't moved his mouth at all.
Flesh!
An army of screechy voices now chanted together, and it was becoming overwhelming. She felt like the voices had a familiar quality to them, one she had learned before. The voices were rushed and high-pitched, almost like…almost like—
The daughter of Zeus swallowed back her anxiousness and turned her attention to the trees. All of the bird's lifeless ebony eyes were turned to her, and they squawked viciously in her direction. She heard their several threats and bloodthirsty slurs. Why were they all staring at her? It didn't make any sense. Birds were of her father's domain, so why wouldn't they respect her?
The charioteers continued to race on, oblivious to the loud and obnoxious birds. Thalia turned towards the Big House and searched for any sign of Dionysus. He may have lost most of her respect—the little respect she had for him—but he was probably the only other being that could understand the creatures. She frowned when she didn't spot him anywhere.
Thalia felt someone nudge her gently, and she turned to her left to see Percy frowning in concern. "What's wrong, Thalia? Those birds bothering you or something?" he asked her, his dark eyebrows furrowed.
At the mention of the animals, she looked towards them again. They glared at her fiercely, almost as if they were daring her to say anything. She could picture them in leather jackets, cracking their knuckles and dangling cigarettes from their beaks.
"You could say that," she murmured quietly, hoping no one else was listening in on their conversation. "Say, do those birds look man-eating to you?"
"What gives you that impression?"
Flesh! Flesh! Feast on the daughter of the skies!
"Eh, just a hunch," she answered wryly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm pretty sure they want to peck our flesh from our bones."
Percy's eyes widened. "Thalia, what the hell are you talking about? They—they're just pigeons." He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.
Thalia hummed to herself sarcastically. "That's strange. Usually, when I hear pigeons, they're not telling me they want the blood of heroes. Well…unless they just had a stressful day or something."
The son of Poseidon paled slightly, but tried for a small smile. "Nice one," he commented, trying not to believe her. "You know, I think this is the longest conversation we've had since…well, that—"
Thalia turned away uncomfortably, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She had tried to avoid talking to him after the trouble they had gotten into together, mostly because it felt all too foreign to her. She didn't think the kiss meant anything—or rather, she didn't want to think it meant something—yet she couldn't stop thinking about it.
The demigoddess felt like she needed to slowly distance herself away. She hated feeling like she wasn't aware of what was going on around her, and that's how Percy always managed to make her feel. She had yet to decide if that was a good or horrible thing yet. All she knew was that she was sort of uncomfortable around him now.
The son of Poseidon bit his lip hard in irritation, and she forced herself to stop staring at him. Worry flashed through his emerald hues, and it had her on instant alert. He was looking to the trees, and she quickly followed suit. The ferocious birdlike creatures had formed themselves into a rather menacing funnel of air, and were heading straight for the track.
"Shit!" Thalia exclaimed, rushing to her feet. Percy followed up after her, catching the attention of everyone in the stands.
Tantalus stood from his seat and scowled down in disapproval. "And just where do you presume the two of you will be going?"
"Someone has to get rid of those demon birds. Damn, Tantalus, can't you see them heading this way?" the daughter of Zeus remarked incredulously. There was a time and a place for being an ignorant dick weed, and their new director was really pushing it.
"They are not—" Tantalus began, but ceased speaking whenever a demigod from the crowd stood.
The boy was dressed in full armor, which wasn't strange for campers during the day. His rough face reminded Thalia of someone she had met before. Although his looks were rugged and almost feral in a way, she would be lying if she called him unattractive.
"Demon birds?" he repeated her earlier words, his deep and smoky voice matching his appearance.
Thalia nodded, finding it very hard to not be intimidated by him. He just gave off a strange, powerful aura, and she found it rather unsettling. Percy moved until he was directly beside her, their arms rubbing together, and raised his head to look at the demigod more clearly.
"Cyril," the son of Poseidon acknowledged, giving a swift nod. "Have you read anything about them?"
Suddenly, Thalia recalled just who this demigod was. Standing before them was Cyril, the son of Hercules. He didn't spend much of his time at Camp Half-Blood, and it was strange seeing him there. She hadn't even heard of his return. If it were possible, he looked even rougher than he had the previous year.
"No," the boy answered. "But, I suspect that I know what they are."
The whirlwind of birds was vastly approaching. Some dived away from their brethren and into the stands, violently picking at vulnerable spectators.
"You know how to kill them?" Thalia asked, activating her sword.
When Cyril simply nodded, she didn't wait for another response. As a bird swooped down for Percy's head, she slashed at it. Her blade ricocheted off of the creature's metallic beak with a clang, and the son of Poseidon dug out Riptide while he ducked. The son of Hercules had also drawn his weapon, when Thalia had, and was using his blade as more of a diversion than an offensive attack.
Annabeth jumped from her chariot, surprising her fellow charioteers. "Stymphalian birds!" the daughter of Athena cried, sprinting up to her friends.
Cyril twisted his sword expertly, using it to send a bird into a spiral flight before it burst into a cloud of feathers. Bothering to glance over for a moment, he added, "Hercules, my father, drove them away with the sound of Athena's agitating krotala."
"English, Cyril," Thalia replied to the rogue, barely managing to tackle Annabeth out of the way. What was she even doing out there? She only had her knife, and the birds would have to get within pecking distance in order for her to use it.
The son of Hercules brushed off the jibe, nearly roaring whenever one of the creatures snuck up on him and found a breach in his armor. The wound in his shoulder didn't serve to slow him down. Instead, his frustration fueled his battle prowess.
"Noise clappers, brass bells and the like," he answered briskly, once he had knocked the bird to the ground and crushed the lower half of its body with his boot. The limp beast exploded. "We need something that will make plenty of commotion."
"Thalia, where's your iPod?" Annabeth asked immediately, diving out of the way of two raging birds. The demigoddess really wished she wouldn't rush into battle like she did. She could seriously get hurt or something.
"It's in my cabin," the daughter of Zeus responded, checking to see how Percy was fending.
He was defending himself easily and, of course, he was making sure to guard some of the whimpering satyrs as well. Thalia had always admired that about him. He was loyal, strong, and heroic. He didn't even realize his great qualities, either.
"Go get it!" the blonde urged.
"…it's dead."
"Thalia!"
Percy panted heavily. "I have an idea! Keep up the defense. The campers in the chariots are doing fine, just keep the rest safe."
Thalia nodded, although she had absolutely no idea what he could be up to. Knowing Percy, though, it was probably going to be a fairly effective plan. She watched as he ran off towards the Big House, doing the gods know what.
The daughter of Zeus allowed herself to be distracted for too long, and one of the birds flew for her face before she had a chance to react. Thankfully, Cyril spun around and sliced it into a bundle just in time. She was going to thank him, but he had already drifted back into his own battle. She watched as he slaughtered creature after creature, as if he had some kind of personal grudge against them.
Other campers that had been in the stands were attempting to fight back, and assist in the resistance. Children of Athena were discussing strategy, while commanding that shields be raised in defense. The offspring of Apollo had drawn their bows, attempting to find leverage to shoot at the speedy birds.
Clarisse, who had crossed the finish line before noticing the chaos going on around her, ran for the stands with her sword raised. Fire erupted from several chariots, and Thalia had no explanation as to why that happened. Perhaps it had been Greek fire. At the thought of the powerful substance, her expression grew saddened. It was always rough for her to think about Hal, the cursed son of Apollo.
The birds were getting the better of the campers. The fatally wounded resorted to running around, screaming for all their lungs were worth. Some of the birds—obviously holding grudges against Hercules—picked at Cyril's hair, and ripped at Thalia's clothes. Their beloved activities director was frantically chasing some éclair, yelling reassurances that definitely did nothing to soothe anything.
Percy returned, toting some older boom box and a CD. He sat it down on the steps, but the daughter of Zeus didn't have time to see what he was doing. A few moments passed before music sounded through the slightly crackly speakers, and Thalia grimaced. The son of Poseidon had fetched Chiron's music. They didn't have any brass bells, but she had a feeling that Dean Martin was the next worse thing.
The birds reacted recently, appearing as frantic as the starving Tantalus. They flew in rapid spirals, occasionally bumping beaks and tumbling to the ground. Finally, they managed to reassemble themselves and gathered in a dark flock. They flew away, and the Apollo campers were able to get clearer targets.
"Now!" the daughter of Athena screamed. "Archers!"
After all of the arrows had been fired, numerous bronze-beaked creatures dropped to the ground. The few surviving birds were already too far gone for the arrows to soar, but they didn't look like they were coming back any time soon. Corpses of birds littered the new chariot field, and the daughter of Zeus had to force herself to look away from the sight. Chariots were either completely or mostly destroyed, and campers were bleeding all over.
"Congratulations, young Clarisse," Tantalus boasted, clapping his hands loudly. "We have our very first winner of the chariot races!" He surrendered golden laurels to the surprised daughter of Ares.
Oh, but he wasn't done yet. Thalia wasn't that lucky.
The director turned to the children of the Big Three, and with a jackass smile, pointed towards the Big House. "Shovels are in the basement. I suggest you two go on and fetch them. Bet you can't wait to get to cleaning! These corpses won't dispose of themselves, you know."
Thalia paled, glancing over the field. Insects were already picking at the dead animals, and she had to refrain from screaming obscenities in his gaunt, smirking face. Percy's face strung into a tight grimace. He was about as excited about this as she.
It was going to be a long night.