Author's Notes: Chapter 3 is a little early this week. Please review this one because I need some ideas for the next chapter.
Train rides are not usually that bad, but if two maniac servers are following you, then it could turn out pretty badly.
We got to the train station at about 1:00 PM and our train didn't leave until about two, so we looked around at some of the little shops they had in the station. I bought a bottle of water, some seashells, and some polish for my fork. Jeremy had no money, so he didn't get anything.
Cathleen didn't buy anything either, which was odd considering they had an entire store dedicated to the New York Yankees. When we were called to get onboard the train, I looked back and saw the two servers from the restaurant following us onto the train, but farther up and in a different cabin. "Hey, I think we're being followed." Jeremy and Cathleen looked and saw them getting on as well.
"Maybe it's a coincidence."
"Or maybe they're monsters in disguise. We cannot be too careful around them and if anything weird happens, we fight. Jeremy, do you have a weapon on you?"
"Yes I do." He bulled a black pen from his pocket and turned the top near the point to reveal a 3-foot long stygian iron sword with a skull at the end of it. "It was a gift from my father to help me. It's called Soul-Eater."
"That's perfect. Now put it away before someone sees you." Jeremy put the sword away and we got into our seats. The train ride started out smooth, but after about two hours, we had to make a quick pit stop in Springfield, Illinois.
"I'm sorry folks, we have a broken tire and we will be delayed for about an hour. Please, make yourself at home in the city and be back here in again, one hour."
"Great, we should probably go away from the train incase of any trouble but stay close enough to the train incase it gets fixed early." We walked over to a close hilly region about a mile away from the train station. At the same time, our waiter friends were following us with a look of pure evil in their eyes. They made it over to us and started to talk.
"Hey kiddies, fancy meeting you here in Springfield." Kristen's eyes were different know. Before at the restaurant, she had brown eyes. Now they were red, a very deep, almost blood red. "So where are you kiddies of to?" "Yeah, go on and tell little old Kristen and Mason here." They were not going to leave us alone.
"We're off to Las Vegas to meet our parents. Why do you care where we're going?" Cathleen was very close to pulling out her sword.
"Why don't we go somewhere private to talk, so we don't get interrupted?" Kristen's eyes were really bothering me. Where had I read of a monster whose eyes could change from any other color to now a deep blood red?
Then I remembered from one of my lessons with Chiron about monsters that transformed into a female with eye's of red were called "Empusa."
Kristen eyed me when I said that and transformed into her true self, a flaming haired, one donkey leg and one metal one, vampire looking thing. "So, you figured it out that quickly, did you kiddies? Now, you boys are my food. Mason, take care of the girl, would you?"
"With pleasure." Mason transformed into an almost hybrid of a lion and a scorpion.
"Cathleen, watch out. He's a manticore."
"Got it." She pulled out her toy lightning bolt and pushed the center of it to reveal her sword Shocker. "Come on you stupid mash-up of creatures. I'm waiting."
"You're going to wish you hadn't said that girly." The manticore pounced at Cathleen, but she was faster and dodged him with ease. We started to watch her fight when we heard a voice from behind us.
"Hey boys, did you forget about me?" Kristen ran towards us awkwardly with her two different legs. "You're going to be very tasty meals. I haven't had demigods in a long time."
"Ryan, what do we do now?" Jeremy was quivering next to me in sheer terror.
"It'll be alright kiddo, just take out your sword and dodge her hair and teeth at all cost." I took my fork out of my pocket and clicked the button. "Come on you hideous empusa. You want my blood. Then come and get it." I charged at her with Tidal pointing right at her stomach.
"You think I'll fall for that kiddy? I don't think so." She jumped up, higher than I expected she could and started after Jeremy. "I think you shall be the first victim, son of Hades."
"Jeremy, use your sword and stab her in the stomach." He took out his pen and turned it into Soul-Eater. The empusa saw his blade and turned around, coming back for me. It was weird, almost like she was afraid of that sword.
"I'll actually save him for later, after I get some energy from eating you." She was more determined to beat me now. Her clawed hands slashing at my skin and her hair burning my face. "Die son of Poseidon." Then I remembered what I had bought at the train station. I pushed her away far enough to fish out the seashells from my pocket and threw them to the ground. They sank into the ground and a steady flow of water appeared from where they sank.
"More!" The little streams of water shooting upward turned into giant geysers of ocean water. "Attack the empusa!" The streams shot towards the empusa like a giant tidal wave, with the empusa unable to avoid it.
"NO!" The empusa was caught in a giant whirlpool of ocean water that was draining my energy fast. After about 5 minutes of swirling, I couldn't take the pain in my gut. I stopped the flow of water and the whirlpool and the empusa landed on the ground soaking wet.
She looked over at me as I fell to the ground, conscious but unable to move much. "Well, well, looks like you didn't have enough energy to finish me off, did you?" She started over to me when Jeremy came back to his senses. "Now I'll have just enough energy to finish off that cowardly son of Hades."
The next few seconds went by in a blur. The empusa started to laugh and lowered her head down to my neck. "Fare well, son of Poseidon." Then she suddenly stopped and jerked around to see what had stabbed her. Jeremy had stabbed her right through the heart with his blade. "You, but how? I thought you were too scared to fight?"
"I guess I didn't want you to kill one of the only living friends I have." He yanked the sword out and the empusa disintegrated into a pile of dust. He ran over to me and turned me over onto my back. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I need you to reach into my book bag and get the nectar and ambrosia out ok. And after that, go help Cathleen if she needs it, but do not get in her way while she is fighting, got it?"
"Got it." He reached into the book bag on my back, pulled out the thermos of nectar and a few squares of ambrosia, and handed them to me. "There you go. Ok I'm off to help Cathleen. Stay safe ok." He ran off to see how Cathleen was doing.
"Why won't you just keel over and die daughter of Zeus." The manticore was scratched up all over and had lost a few teeth from his fight.
"I could say the same thing to you, lion breath." Cathleen had just as many scratches from lion claws. "Now be a good little kitty and roll over so I can kill you."
"No way girly." He raised his tail and revealed his secret weapon; his tail was a needle shooter. "Now you die." He shot dozens upon dozens of needles that almost hit her. After he was done, he was amazed to see Cathleen standing in front of him without a scratch on her. "How did you dodge them all?"
"Simple, you're a terrible shot. Also my father is lord of the sky and the air; I can change my body into air for short periods of time to avoid and almost unavoidable situation." She stuck her hand into the air "Now, let's see how much you like lightning!" She lowered her hand as quickly as it was raised and lightning struck the lion's tail, breaking it off. "How's that feel?"
The manticore roared but didn't disintegrate. He looked back at Cathleen and smiled. "That hurt but I'll be fine. Now I get the pleasure of just being able to rip you apart piece by piece with my claws." The manticore lunged at a shocked Cathleen. "Die daughter of Zeus!" Once again, right before the monster got to her, Jeremy had saved us again, only this time with a few of his undead minions. "What are these?"
"They serve me and they're ordered to protect the girl over there. Cathleen, snap out of it. You have to finish him of now. My soldiers won't be able to hold him for long." With that, she came back to her senses.
"Thank you Jeremy." She picked up her sword and charged at the manticore. "Now you're going to feel pain like never before." She jabbed her sword into the monsters side as she had done to the dragon and jumped away screaming "Lightning!" A giant burst of lightning struck the sword and the manticore roared in agony.
"NO!" The manticore disintegrated and Cathleen fell to the ground as I had, conscious and weak from lack energy.
"Cathleen, are you alright?" Jeremy ran over to her, fearful that she was unconscious. "Do you need me to get or do anything?"
"Yeah, could you go get me some nectar and ambrosia from Ryan? He should be up and ready to go by now." Jeremy nodded and ran over to me.
"Ryan, I need the nectar and ambrosia for Cathleen."
"Of course. But could you help me up first?" He helped me get to my feet and we walked over to Cathleen. "Here you go." I gave her the thermos and a few squares of ambrosia. She finished those and we helped her back onto her feet. "Feeling better now?"
"Yes I am thank you. And thank you very much Jeremy, if it hadn't been for you, we may be dead right now."
"Yeah man, thank you very much." Jeremy stared at us with tears in his eyes as if he was about to bawl his eyes out.
"Your welcome guys." We gestured for him to come give us a hug and he accepted, bawling his eyes out all over our shirts.
"Now, let's head back to the train station and hope we didn't miss the train."
To our relief, the train was still there and we heard the conductor yell "All aboard." We ran to the train and got back into our seats, ready to sleep the rest of the way to Las Vegas.