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Chapter 2: The Manticore

"I needed help to defend the di Angelos. So I did the only thing I could think of, I concentrated on Grover, trying to use my empathy link. I had never tried to contact him before and I didn't even know it would work," said Percy.

"Great we are counting on an empathy link to save my children," mumbled Hades.

"Dr Thorne marched us through the woods, the cold wind and my ripped clothing made me feel like a Percysicle," said Percy.

"Percy that is such a dad joke," said Katie as the room groaned.

"Dad joke not even the fathers found it funny," pointed out Will.

"Thorne told us he would summon our ride, Bianca demanded to know were we were going," said Nico.

"I was very impressed with you, showing guts sticking up for her," said Percy ruffling his hair.

"I was scared," mumbled Nico.

"You were ten and a monster was trying to kidnap you," said Thalia.

"We halted at a cliff, I could sense the sea about a hundred metres below although I couldn't see it in the darkness," said Percy.

"Did you consider jumping off the cliff?" asked Poseidon.

"Yes I did," answered Percy.

"Is that why Thorne told you to jump, and that he would kill you before you would reach the water?" asked Nico. Percy nodded.

"Thorne pulled out a phone and went into walkie-talkie mode. It seemed too modern and creepy to me, a monster using a cell phone," explained Percy.

"He used a cell phone. NO FAIR. How can he use a cell phone and we can't?" exclaimed the Stoll brothers.

"He is a monster, not a demi-god. It won't send out a signal to other monsters," explained Athena.

"We must be the only teenagers in the world without a cell phone," grumbled Travis.

"Thankfully whoever wanted us wanted us alive," said Nico. Everyone thought Luke.

"Thorne informed me that I had no idea what was happening."

"When do you ever know what is going on?" asked Annabeth interrupting Percy. Percy just glared at his girlfriend before continuing

"He was going to let the General enlighten me," said Percy.

"Who is the General?" asked Demeter.

"Our transportation arrived then," said Nico "it was a helicopter."

"Monsters are using helicopters…. Please tell me this isn't happening," said the Stolls.

"The enemy is using mortals," questioned Athena.

"Thorn told Nico he should feel honoured as he soon would have the opportunity to join a great army," said Percy. Chris and others scoffed

"Great army indeed," Clarisse said sarcastically.

"Technically he did join a great army," pointed out Rachel.

"I told him to take his great army and…" Nico was halted by a bar of soap that appeared in his mouth. Nico spat it out glaring around the room.

"You were not brought up to use that language," said Hades glaring at his son. Nico frowned wondering how he was brought up, because he didn't remember anyone other than Bianca looking after him.

"Nico was suppose to change his mind about joining. He then threatened that there was other uses for half-bloods. They had many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring was underway," said Percy.

"NOOO," "WHAT?" "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING," was the responses from some of the gods. Other responses deserved Nico throwing his bar of soap at them. Nico did wish he hadn't missed the target and hit Ares in the head.

"The worst and most powerful monsters are waking?" asked Hades.

"Yes monsters that had not been seen in thousands of years, that will cause death and destruction," Thalia grumbled.

"Thorn told us that most important monster, the one that will bring about the downfall of Olympus, would soon be in their possession," said Percy.

"What monster could that be?" asked Apollo looking at Athena who just shrugged but you could see in her eyes that she was going through all the monsters in her mind trying to work it out.

"That was when Bianca decided that Thorn was completely nuts," explained Percy.

"She also decided you were nuts too," said Nico.

"Well to a unknowing demi-god jumping off a cliff into the sea would be complete nuts," said Percy.

"It's completely nuts no matter what," retorted Clarisse.

"That was when an invisible force slammed into me knocking me and the di Angelos to the ground," said Percy.

"Using my invisibility hat I got to Percy, Nico and Bianca, surprising Thorn and because of that the first volley of missiles zipped over our heads as Thalia and Grover advanced from behind," said Annabeth.

"Dr Thorn winced and growled when he saw Aegis. I jabbed at his head with my spear but he just swatted it aside. His hand changed into an orange paw with enormous claws and it slashed across Aegis however I managed to roll and land on my feet," said Thalia.

"Thorn launched a volley of missiles at Thalia. I was able to see his tail, a leathery, scorpion like tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. He decided to change when Grover used his reed pipes to tangle his legs in weeds. Thorne grew larger was soon in his true form. His face stayed human but his body was a lion, with the spiky tail," said Percy.

"A manticore," gasped Athena.

"Okay Nico, how many attack points does he have?" asked Thalia.

"Attack Points?" asked a confused Hades.

"In Mythomagic, cards have certain points, the manticore has about three thousand points," said Nico.

"Do we have points?" asked Apollo hoping that he had more points than Artemis and Hermes.

"Yes, and you also have figurines," said Percy laughing "Nico had almost all of them, except the really rare ones."

"Had almost all of them," asked a confused Hades.

"I grew up," said Nico shrugging his shoulders.

"He grew up too quickly," whispered Thalia to Percy who agreed with her.

"Thorn managed to get out of Grover's magical weeds and turned his direction on the di Angelos, Percy and I," explained Annabeth. "I pushed the di Angelos into the snow as Percy used his shield to defend from the volley of spikes."

"Thorn told us to yield, so I charged ready to run him through. However the military-style helicopter with laser-guided rockets attached to the side blinded me and the stupid manticore swatted me with his stupid tail," said a disgruntled Thalia.

"Thalia's shield flew off into the snow and her spear flew in the other direction. I managed to parry away a spike that was about to hit her chest and raised my shield over both of us," said Percy.

"We were surprised when we heard the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods," said Annabeth.

"A hunting horn?" asked Athena looking towards Artemis.

"The manticore froze, surprised as an object flew by us like moonlight and a silver arrow sprouted from his shoulder," said Thalia.

"The manticore unleashed more spikes into the woods in the direction that the arrow came from. Just as fast a volley of arrows shot back and sliced the thorns in two mid-air. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me as no-one could do that back at camp," explained Percy.

"We in the Apollo cabin so could," boasted Will.

"Oh yeah, when we get back, we will have a contest," said Thalia in competitive mode.

"The Hunters emerged from the woods; there was about a dozen of them aged ten to fourteen," said Annabeth.

"Thalia was not impressed to see them," said Percy surprising the gods, why was she not impressed?

"A girl with coppery coloured skin and long dark hair which had a silver circlet braided into it stepped forward asking another permission to kill," said Nico who did not sound or looked happy.

"Zoe Nightshade, she is such a great lieutenant, so efficient," said Artemis.

"The manticore was not happy wailing that it was not fair, that it was against the Ancient Laws," said Thalia.

"No it isn't. The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere and he is a wild beast," said Artemis.

"The manicore lunged at Thalia and Percy who were dazed and weak. He was had decided that if he couldn't have them alive he would have them dead," said Annabeth.

"Annabeth then did a stupid thing," said Nico.

"It was not stupid," shouted Annabeth.

"Yes it was, it was the cause of everything," yelled Nico who was seething.

"Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. Annabeth hung on for dear life as he turned in circles. The Hunters let their arrows fly hitting the manticore in the neck and chest," said Percy.

"Before any of us could react, the monster leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness with Annabeth still on his back," said Thalia.

"How did you survive?" asked Athena looking at her daughter with a motherly look, the look of worry and satisfaction.

"I started to run after her but gunfire from the helicopter sent me crashing into the snow. A girl about twelve with auburn hair and strange silvery yellow eyes – like the moon, stood still and claimed that mortals were not allowed to witness her hunt. She thrust out her hand and the helicopter dissolved into a flock of ravens," explained Percy.

"Wow, remind me not to upset Artemis," said all the male demigods.

"Thalia and Zoe were not happy to see one another," said Percy.

"You had met Zoe before?" asked Rachel.

"Yes, I had," replied Thalia.

"I didn't realise who I was talking to and was distraught that Annabeth was gone. I wanted to save her. That was when Artemis introduced herself to me."

A/N: Hope you like this chapter, surprisingly it was harder to write than I thought.

Thanks for my reviews last chapter. Please review.