Hey Percy Jackson People! Yep, I'm back! Sorry I haven't been updating. I swear on the Styx I'll try to make it up to you! Oh and I realized a mistake in the previous chapter when I wrote 'she' instead of 'I'. Just ignore it! And I just remembered about Percy's Curse of Achilles! Did I make him cut because he's not supposed to be. Thanks to TheAvidReader (do I have to thank them every chapter? They're just such a great reviewer) and Thalia Di Angilo for reviewing! You guys make my day.
There, rising majestically like a castle clad in mud, was where Gaea slept.
And if we don't stop her…
Where Gaea would wake up.
Back to Halley's POV
Ever had that feeling that something good was about to happen? Like a tug in your gut or a tingly feeling in your arms?
I had that now.
I was getting excited. My friends were going to save me, and I had a feeling that it was going to happen soon. Looks like Gaea failed AGAIN. No surprise there. Speaking of the muddy monster, where was she? Taking a mud bath? Mud related jokes are really lame.
"So, demigod. Care to watch your friends die?"
Oh, she decides to show up now.
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
Gaea took out a silvery orb. In it were Clara, Thomas and Percy. Travelling with… me?
"Yes, empousa are good with disguises," Gaea purred.
'I' changed in the orb into a disgusting creature, which I supposed was an empousa. I can't believe something so ugly could impersonate me! Gods, I'm going crazy…
The empousa attacked ferociously and I watched in horror as my friends got swatted aside.
"Stop it!" I screamed.
No luck. Only Clara seemed to be attacking, while the boys were drooling after the imposter. Seriously? Clara seemed to sense this and the boys finally sprang into action. Then the empousa did something strange. She hit them towards a building that I assumed was this one. What other building is covered in mud and practically in the middle of the desert? I'm willing to bet not many.
"Ha!" I said triumphantly. "You seemed to have overestimated your soldiers!"
That's when I realized… It was a trap! Gods, I was stupid.
"What was the point of sending them here?" I asked.
She smiled a classic 'I-know-something-you-don't' smile and disappeared just as I heard a crashing sound. The door cracked and burst apart.
My friends (not to mention saviors; or dead meat) stood in front of the broken door.
"Guys!" I yelled, relived yet worried at the same time.
They all grinned and rushed forward, all grabbing at the bars of my cage in vain.
"Use your powers!"
Clara and Percy drew water from the mud and formed a giant fist, which pulled the bars from my cage.
"Halley! You look… horrible," Percy said awkwardly.
I punched him in the shoulder as we exchanged stories.
"So," Clara began, "you think this is a trap?"
"I'm sure of it."
Thomas looked around nervously.
"Guys… Where's Gaea?"
I froze. Damn it, I forgot that our enemy was lurking around somewhere, probably ready to pounce on us. I tensed and put on my 'ready-to-attack' face. Even though it helps me concentrate, I rarely use it because one time I showed someone at camp that face and they burst out laughing. Trust me, that was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.
"Um Halley, you alright? You look like you're about to vomit," Percy remarked.
What the Hades is wrong with my attack face? I sighed and shifted my position so I was facing south. I thought I heard something…
"Gaea, I know you're there!" I said bravely.
Laughter echoed through the tunnel.
"My my, demigods aren't as bright as they used to be. Be ready to face my minions!"
Thousands of monsters poured out, all different shapes and sizes. I thought I saw a hydra and some empousa too, mixed in with dog creatures and those… Hippies? Hammies? Damn, I can remember empousai but I can't remember those chicken ladies? They surrounded us and we went back to back, brandishing our weapons.
"Any ideas?" I asked over the growling of the monsters.
Percy said, "I've got one."
"What?"
"Charge!"
And with that, we rushed into the oncoming horde of monsters.
As soon as we reached the crowd of monsters, I felt cuts and bruises forming all over my body without even knowing who they came from. Or what they came from. I was feeling adrenaline course through my body and I started hacking away with my sword. I flipped over a hellhound, sliced at its feet, then rolled and stabbed at a Cyclops. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clara using her voice to make some monsters unconscious, but there was too much noise. She then took out her trident and made a whirlwind. It was so powerful monsters disintegrated left and right.
Percy was to my left, slashing with his sword riptide that he maneuvered with skill and precision. Sometimes he used powerful jets of water to hit or blind the enemy then attack from behind. The swords didn't cut him as he had the Curse of Achilles (someone explained to me his achievements on my first and last day of camp).
Thomas was in front of me, stabbing monsters. Golden dust covered him from head to toe as he slid under a Hammie. Happie. Oh whatever. He lunged for an empousa while successfully killing a hellhound with one swipe.
Something disarmed me but Percy killed it. I couldn't find my sword so I picked up its weapon, which was a bow, and the quiver of arrows. Of course, as a daughter of Apollo I was naturally gifted at using it, taking down monsters with one shot. Really the only bad thing about it was I had to collect the arrows again.
But it wasn't enough.
We were soon overwhelmed, even when I had made one blast of light (which didn't have the affect I had hoped it would've). Now we were cornered, our backs to a wall.
We were trapped.
I started to hyperventilate, which probably didn't help at all.
"We need a plan," Clara said calmly.
How the Hades was she calm? It's practically impossible for me now!
"How about we find an exit?" Thomas suggested. "We can break out of here instead of trying to kill these monsters."
They seemed to me to be closing in at like, snail speed. What were they waiting for? Or were they trying to let us escape? No, that didn't make sense. Gaea trapped us here only to let us go? One monster lunged at me and grabbed my arm but I shot it and it disintegrated.
"Okay, let's find an exit real quick," I said urgently.
Our eyes scanned the room for any sign of cracks or a secret door.
"There!" Percy hissed.
He pointed to a barely visible line on the floor to our right. No wait; it was a square… a door! We inched there ever so carefully, but the monsters kept coming closer.
"Clara, I want you to sing and blast water. Percy, you can help too. While they're distracted (or unconscious) we can sneak into the door," I said (which is surprising because I usually suck at scheming.
"Three, two, one… NOW!"
Huge blasts of water and a queer tune travelled to the monsters. We took no hesitation in running at top speed to the door, while the monsters were still trying to find out what was going on. We reached it just as they shook of their confusion.
"Open it!" I said, frustrated.
With one mighty heave, we all lifted the top off (there weren't any hinges) and threw it down, accidentally whacking a monster.
"Hurry," Thomas whispered, "they're gaining!"
We took a glance back and jumped down into the dark hatch.
Hey, it's me. I really need some inspiration. I think I have writer's block. OH, and if you don't understand something, it will be explained in the next chapter. Orangesunset12 is signing off!