(Alright, so I am clearly not a daughter of Athena because I had forgotten that Backbiter/Kronos' skythe had melted in The Last Olympian, but it's my fanfic and I can do what I want so if you could pretend that it magically reformed and Camp Half Blood wanted to keep it because it's an awesome sword, that'd be great. Ok, thanks for reading and enjoy. Please.)

Chapters 14.

Daughter of the goddess of wisdom. That's what I am.

Yet I'm stupid enough to walk into a trap.

The room is large and the guard motions for me to sit in a chair at a wooden table. I smile and agree, but I can't stop my legs from shaking. "Do you know why we brought you in here, Miss Thomson?"

I barely stifle my gasp. Zeus had given us fake names and old photos to use on our boarding passes and passports to decrease the very great risk of being tracked. Mine had said Emily West.

"I'm sorry, I understand that I look very different on my passport photo. I got it when I was eleven, but since it doesn't expire until next year then I thought I wouldn't need to get a new one." I smile. Yeah, he isn't buying it.

He slams his hands down against the table and I jump.

"Don't play games." He growls.

I fly out of my seat and head towards the door, but he jumps. No, he pounces in front of me.

A manticore. The head and body of a lion but with the tail of a scorpion and the wings, that are useless in this room, of an eagle.

I mutter a string of curses and quickly scramble to open my locket.

The manticore leaps over me, skidding into the table, before turning back to face where I am. I pull out my sword and whip it around for practice.

Liam was right, I have no idea how to fight. I guess dumb luck will have to do.

I look for weak spots as the manticore circles the room. "Where are you? Come out and fight me like a true hero would!" It snarls.

I race through all the options I have in my head, before I realise that I need help. It would be idiotic not to ask for help. When the manticore makes its way towards me, I grab one of my knives and roll it across the floor. That grabs its attention. I'm the closest to the door and I make a mad dash for the handle, as soon as it's open I throw myself outside before slamming it again, staggering to the left.

"Katy?" Liam calls, facing the door five meters to my right. I snap the locket closed just as the manticore bursts through the wall. Because doors are overrated.

"Open it!" Nico orders.

I make a weak screaming sound before opening the locket again.

"I smell sea food," the lion smirks. "Is that sea spawn or one if its punny half blood siblings here?"

"Or she might have hidden another kipper in her coat pocket for weeks again." Liam shrugs.

"That was ONE time!" Grace yells.

"Oh my gods, you three. We are literally fighting a monster, and you're still arguing!" Thalia cries out.

The manticore strolls outside, and I notice that no one else but us are here. All the mortals are gone. Lucky them.

Lions are big cats, and cats hate their back legs being touched, so I should aim for there to get it down, but I doubt it would kill it.

I see Thalia hit a direct hit on the things nose and it growls, almost wiping her off her feet if she wasn't fast enough. I see Lexi spinning a spear above her head that is white hot and spitting sparks everywhere. She slides onto her knees and thrusts the thing upwards before scraping herself out of the way. As the manticore lands on its front, the spear spins across the floor, still intact. Magic items are hardcore. Now I don't have to aim for the legs anymore. I don't see Nico, but I see bones rising up through the ground grabbing the legs which are shaken off as fast as they rise. And Grace, this is why I hate her some times. My sister is crying against the wall, screaming for our dad.

While the thing is still down, I climb its back. The scorpion tail just nearly misses me, and I get a gash on my right arm. I breathe through my teeth and edge towards the neck, staying as low as I can.

I grab a dagger and plunge it through the bottom, as another silver arrow lodges itself into the left eye. With a roar, the manticore turns to dust, leaving a sword, my knife and three of Thalia's arrows clatter to the ground, followed by me.

I grunt as I hit the floor on my front and close the locket. "Holy Zeus Katy, why didn't you do that before you climbed onto the thing. I could've hit you! And it's not like the thing has eyes in he back of it's head. Here, take my hand." I take Lexi's hand, and see her dark eyes widen. "Don't tell me that cut is from the scorpion tail, please?" She points to my arm. I bite my lip and nod. "This is bad. Thalia, watch her, I'll get the ambrosia. What ever you do, stay with us ok?"

"What? I feel fine, I'm not going anywhere!" I laugh before crumpling into Thalia's arms.