Ah shit, here we go again. Chapter 6, and things are heating up. Lots of big fights coming up in the next few chapters, so get ready. Enjoy!

February 2001, eight months later

Lupa

Lupa crouched behind a bush, looking through the gaps at the group of monsters that were marching by. It was a group of about 20 dracaenae, armed with spears, and shields. The goddess had seen enough of them to know that they did not travel with many weapons, let alone fully armed with shields. These had been equipped for battle, and Lupa knew exactly why. She looked at the young hunters who accompanied her, signalling for them to stay hidden. She jumped out from behind the bush, and landed in the middle of the group. She cut through them like a knife through butter, the dracaenae exploding into dust in seconds. Turning to the last one, she sent her flying towards a tree. Groaning, the wounded dracaena started to crawl away, but a hunter grabbed her and put a knife to her throat. Lupa grunted at her, and the huntress moved away. The enormous she-wolf then put a paw on the monster's chest and growled.

'You are going to tell me where you were going. Do this, and I shall give you a quick death, something which you have not earned'.

The dracaena struggled to breathe, but she managed to look Lupa in the eyes, and spat in her face.

'Screw you. You will all burn in Tartarus, you and your virgin bitc-'

The dracaena's rant was cut off as she gasped for air. With a snarl, Lupa had begun to shift her weight forward. The creature spluttered, dark blood starting to seep from the corners of her mouth as her ribs began to break. Finally, with a violent push and a sickening crunch, Lupa drove her paw through the monster.

'Head back to the house', she told the hunters. 'It's already darkening.'

—

Back at the Wolf House, guards were getting ready to switch for the night, the shadows lengthening as the sun dipped. Percy had arrived from a search, his group untouched. In the last eight months, her son had started to take on his role as a leader in the pack. People looked up to him and respected him. Every day he stood taller, stronger and more powerful. His jaw was set with a new determination, the red in his eyes fiery and intense. Lupa had never been more proud of him. She watched as he walked around the perimeter, checking on every guard and making sure they were alert and ready.

The Hunters and Lupa's pack had been sending out scout teams to track down Lyacon's base for the last 8 months. Jasper, Jax's father, being the lead scout and tracker, was in charge of the search, and had been gone with his group for more than two weeks. So far, they had found nothing, but the pack and the hunters had intercepted many groups of armed monsters. Lupa suspected they moved to join Lyacon, but the ones they had captured had never said a word, and they couldn't follow them to Lyacon due to their excellent smell. They could only slow them down.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the tree line, in the far edge of the Clearing. Wolves and hunters alike raised their heads with interest, and a crowd started gathering around what Lupa assumed was a returning scout group. She sprang from the rock she had been resting on and quickly made her way over, the crowd parting as she arrived. There were 4 wolves laying on the ground, heaving in exhaustion. When they saw her, a brown wolf, with a white stripe on his forehead, stood up with difficulty, and looked Lupa in the eye.

'We found them'

—

Percy

'We found them'

The gathered crowd stood silently, for a second, staring at Jasper with a mixture of joy and happiness. Immediately after, they erupted, yelling out questions and trying to get the drained wolves to explain.

'Where?'

'How many?'

'Let's go kill them!'

'SILENCE!', his mother's voice boomed, and the shouts stopped immediately. 'Let them rest. There will be a council later, and we will all learn of their findings. Now, disperse, and ask no more questions until they are prepared to talk.'

So, an hour later, night had fallen, and Percy found himself in the Council, listening intently to Jasper as he spoke. The whole pack was attending, as were the hunters and Artemis herself. A fire had been started in the middle of the Clearing, illuminating Jasper as he told his story.

'We trekked north for a week, then north-east. There are dense forests and mountains there, lots of places for them to hide and regroup. After searching the area, we managed to follow a group of laistrygonian giants. As the rest of the monsters, they were heavily armed, with huge bags of bronze cannonballs, armour and clubs.'

Artemis nodded. 'We have seen many such groups ourselves. Most are just dracaenae. If they are recruiting giants as well, that is bad news.'

'Precisely, m'lady', said Jasper. 'We were worried as well. We followed them to a place the mortals called Lassen Peak. There, we discovered Lyacon and his pack, in all their greasy glory.'

'Did they have more monsters?' called a small voice from the crowd.

Lupa turned her head angrily, and lessened her death stare slightly when she saw a young huntress covering her mouth. 'Let him finish, he will tell you', she said softly.

'The whole pack was there, as well as Lyacon himself. We could smell them from miles away. We also saw hordes of dracaenae, and multiple groups of dog-headed cynocephali.'

'That is worse news', interrupted Artemis. Lupa looked annoyed, but let her speak. 'They populate much of the north. If the northern tribes have allied themselves with Lyacon, he could have access to a much larger army than we anticipated'.

'That is true m'lady, but we did not see large numbers. We were also preoccupied with other creatures we saw'.

Many in the crowd shifted uneasily at this. Percy understood why. Cynocephali were already renowned to be brutal warriors. If Lyacon had gotten his hands on worse monsters still…

'There was a drakon amongst them', said Jasper. Gasps could be heard from the crowd. 'Easily seventy metres long, with a thick, scale-bound body. It had two heads'.

At the mention of this, Percy saw Artemis set her jaw, a hard look in her eyes. She looked at the fire, before looking up to the expectant eyes.

'I know this one. In ancient times, this monster dwelled in the Greek island of Lésvos. Its terrorised the locals, burning many of their villages with his fiery breath. It was virtually unstoppable, with scales thick enough to stop even the strongest of ballistae. Ares was eventually sent by Zeus to slay the beast.'

The crowd fell silent in shock, as they processed what Artemis had said. Percy had never heard the story of the drakon before, but had no doubt it would not be an easy task to kill it.

'There is more', said Jasper. 'We also saw a man standing on the side of the mountain. He must have been twenty metres tall. He was bald, with a long white beard. He wore only a tunic, but seemed very powerful'.

'One of the ourae', said Lupa. 'Mountain gods. He will be a problem. Nevertheless, I think we should move. We should not risk northern reinforcements reaching the mountain. We should move closer to them, and form a plan of attack.'

To her left, Charile nodded slowly. 'Yes, I agree. We should move at least in proximity to the mountain, and carry out further scouting and planning. Ensuring northern cynocephali tribes cannot reach them should be our first concern. If they do, it will tip the balance in their favour.'

Zoë Nightshade stood up, her jaw set in a similar way to her mistress'.

'Then we leave at once. We need to strike them while they are still regrouping, or expose ourselves to a much more difficult conflict. Attack can be the best form of defence. We should move and attack immediately.'

Percy spoke up. 'I lean more towards Charlie. Isolating the mountain should be the first order of interest. Once we do, we should look and their base and plan. Launching an attack on the enemy in a territory that they know well and have no doubt fortified would be a bad idea.'

'You question the hunters' abilities?', asked Zoë, her eyes alight with anger.

'I question nothing, only advise a clear head and logical steps. If we march in there guns blazing, we expose ourselves to being taken by surprise. Believe me, I want to kill Lyacon even more than you do, but we should come up with a plan first.'

Lupa smiled at his son proudly, and even Artemis nodded in agreement. 'Then we are decided. We will leave at dawn, all of us. Artemis, I trust you will prepare your hunters?' The goddess nodded. 'The whole pack will be going. There is nothing to defend here expect a house, and we will need everybody to fight Lyacon. Be prepared to move when the sun breaks.'

—

The pack and the hunters moved swiftly and silently, the early morning sun just starting to break the thick canopy of the trees. Jasper led the pack, as he knew the way perfectly, and Lupa followed behind. Percy ran alongside his mom, now slightly taller than her. Charlie, Knox and Ace ran close to the pair, and the rest of the pack followed. The Hunters of Artemis ran to the left of the pack, slightly behind to be able to follow Jasper. Artemis could have ridden her chariot, but instead she ran with her hunters, leading them soundlessly through the forest.

They had set off an hour ago, and Percy felt perfectly rested, but there had been a few times when he had ran ahead to tell Jasper to slow down. Although renowned and respected warriors, the Hunters of Artemis were no match for Lupa's pack in terms of speed. Lassen Peak was more than 200 miles away from the Wolf House, so they would have to pace themselves. It was a long way, and they needed to arrive in one piece.

A few hours later, the Hunters called for a break, and they stopped for half an hour, with Jasper looking quite annoyed. They kept going after that, running until it was dark. They finally stopped, Percy feeling good as new, and they hunters close to collapse. In seconds, their silver tents sprung up, and many disappeared inside.

Percy smirked at Jax. 'Guess that means we'll be taking first watch.'

'They'll threaten you to shoot you full of arrows, but can't handle a short run. I bet you could outrun them as a human.'

They laughed, and Jax went off with his parents, who were finding a place to settle in the base of a tree. Percy looked at the assembled wolves, taking a head count and ensuring everybody was accounted for. Then, he walked the perimeter of the makeshift camp they had established, appointing guards and rotations. His mother was obviously still the leader, and he would obey without question, but lately he had started to grow into the leader role, and took charge when Lupa was absent. Alongside with Charlie, he had grown to be virtually second-in-command.

When he finished, the guard was set for the night, and everybody was present. He walked at a relaxed pace through the wolves, heading for the hunters' camp. For any other male member of the pack, he might as well be walking into the Hydra's lair. However, he had saved their lieutenant, and they more or less tolerated him. He needed to talk to someone. When he reached their perimeter, he stopped, and waited. He knew they didn't like to be disrespected, and he needed to talk to Artemis in peace. A young huntress noticed him, and bounded over, a little too happily. Lacy, as she was called, had grown to like Percy, and in the last few months Percy had warmed up to the little ten-year old.

'Hello, Percy! You want something?' She asked with a smile.

'Hey Lacy. Just wondering if I could speak to Lady Artemis. Preferably with all my limbs attached.'

'I think so. She's in a pretty good mood', she said as she started leading Percy through the network of silver tents. 'Also, most of the hunters are asleep, so they won't be a problem. You know, Artemis respects you the most out of all the males in the pack. You might just come out alive!' She added cheekily as they reached a large round tent.

Percy smiled his thanks, and walked into the tent. Percy hoped Artemis had been told he was coming, or he could find himself as a jackalope in a few seconds. As he stepped into the tent, Artemis stood up, and he bowed his head. He had learned not to piss off the gods, especially man-hating goddesses.

'My lady. Thank you for letting me speak to you.'

Artemis smiled warmly at him. 'She must be in a really good mood', Percy thought.

'Perseus. Take a seat.'

Percy looked around at the tent. It was about ten metres in diameter, although Percy had been sure from the outside it couldn't have been more than three. A silver stag lay in a corner, and the goddess was sitting in a pile of rich animal furs, and Percy sat down across her. Even sitting down, Percy towered over her, nearly two and a half metres tall.

'I wanted to talk to you, my lady, about the problem of the cynocephali reinforcements potentially coming in from the north. You have hunted there in the past?'

'I have. The cynocephali are renowned to be savage and fearsome warriors, and they live up to their legend. One on one, a regular hunter would not have an easy time dispatching them. When fully grown, they stand almost two metres tall, with dog-like heads and normally wielding carefully crafted weapons.'

'They are blacksmiths as well?', asked Percy incredulously.

Artemis smiled. 'No, but they have connections and alliances with the telkhines further north, and they supply weapons in return for protection.'

Percy grimaced. 'More bad news for us. Telkhines, for all their faults, are good craftsmen. Do you know how the cynocephali are organised?'

'Why do you ask, son of Lupa?', inquired Artemis. 'It cannot be mere curiosity'.

'No. Charlie and Lupa both agree we should stop the cynocephali reinforcements from getting to the mountain immediately. I will be sent, along with some others, to stop them, and I need all the information I can.'

'Very well. When they are born, weak children are discarded, and only the strong are kept and trained as warriors since they are very small. Each tribe is normally led by one of the creatures, the strongest and most capable in battle. These change often, and they kill each other to gain the position. Although strong and able, they lack strategy to fight as a group, and any sort of organisation. That any have answered a summons to Lassen Peak in odd enough for these creatures.'

'Do the tribes work together ever?'

'Very rarely. Not unless a much stronger presence scares them into line. Is there anything more you wish to know?'

'No, my lady. Thank you'. Percy bowed to Artemis, and then turned and walked out of the tent. Lacy was waiting for him, and grinned at him when she saw him coming out.

'I count four legs, one head and one tail. Very impressive indeed'

'She actually smiled at me, you know.'

'Wow. She actually never does that. So what did you guys talk about?'

'I asked about the cynocephali. Need to know more about them if we are going to fight them'.

Lacy shivered. 'Yeah, those are nasty. Anyway, if you stay any longer Phoebe might come out of her tent and skin you alive. So, see ya!'

—

Almost 3 weeks later

The air was noticeably colder, and Percy could feel the ground hardened as he ran. They were almost at the mountain, and the hunters were almost drained. Some of the younglings were tired as well. They were less than 6 miles from the base of the mountain. Percy thought about his plan, and it seemed crazy, even to him. He had asked Jasper and his group in depth about the mountain god they saw. He had had a scar across his face, running across his eye, which was milky white entirely. The other one was yellow, apparently glowing with anger. When he had taken this information to Artemis and his mom, they came to the conclusion this was Helikon, the mountain god of the region of Boiotia, in central Greece. When the gods moved, so had he. Luckily, he had a twin brother, Kithairon, who hated him. Thus began Percy's plan to stop the cynocephali.

The pack and the hunters arrived at the base of Mount Lassen a few minutes later. Almost immediately, the hunters went to work. They set a perimeter, with guards placed at regular intervals, and the wolves cleared the surrounding area of the woods. Percy looked up at the mountain. It was covered in snow, towering over the surrounding area, scarped slopes leading the way up to a ridge-like top. Not a favourable position for them to attack.

Percy had prepared his group the night before. Frost would be coming with him, along with a dozen other seasoned warriors and hunters. He went up to his mom, and gently brushed her side, saying goodbye. He then led the group away from their makeshift base, towards the monster-infested mountain.

With so many monsters crawling around, they would have to be very careful not to be spotted. If they weren't, there was still the question of if Percy's plan would work. It was, in one word, bonkers. Helikon and Kithairon were the mountain gods of Boiotia, and they grew to hate and spite each other. Even if they were both loyal to Gaia, they would jump at the chance to get the other back. Artemis had told him that in Greece, Kithairon's mountain was right next to his brother's, directly northward. Percy and his group ran, fast as lightning, around the base of Lassen Mountain. Another mountain, almost identical, could be seen behind it. That was their target.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the base of the other mountain. They had encountered several groups of giants in their trip, and made quick work of them, exploding them into dust before they could scream for help in a flash of teeth and claws. They now started to ascend the mountain, a steep and arduous climb ahead of them.

—

Zoë

Zoë sat in the middle of the hunter's camp, fixing small inaccuracies in her sister's tents, trying to pass the time as they waited for Percy to come back. She had already set up the perimeter, the guards, checked for monsters, done the weapons inventory. She was restless, wanting nothing more than to charge up the mountain and slay that evil monster and his pack once and for all. However, as much as she hated to admit it, Percy was right. They were going into enemy territory, and they had to do so with a plan.

The rest of the hunters, especially Phoebe, were in a similar state to her. Phoebe worried her the most, though. Out of all the hunters, she hated men the most. She was constantly finding excuses for getting into fights with the male wolves, constantly grumbling and cursing under her breath. It was staring to seriously get on Zoë nerves. If they weren't united, they had no chance of defeating their common enemy. However, for the sake of the group, she restrained herself from confronting her in public. She would speak with Phoebe later, however. She didn't like to have her orders disobeyed.

She looked off into the woods, wishing for a monster to come screaming out of them. Oh, she yearned for a good fight. Why wouldn't that boy hurry up?

—

Percy

The winds had picked up, and now they howled as the group made their way up the mountain. Percy dug at the ground with his claws, body low to the ground to maintain stability. They ascended in a zigzag pattern in sections that were too steep, and simply ran up those that weren't. Although he didn't show it, Percy was nervous. If his plan were to fail, they would have to find another way to block the incoming cynocephali, and it might be too late. Still, he had to have faith.

They kept climbing, and the mountain got steeper and steeper, to the point that it was almost vertical, and Percy was jumping from rock to rock. Eventually, the slope lessened, and the snow layer seemed shallower. Percy could see gravel and small stones underneath, and the top was not far. He looked back at the group, making a head count. Frost looked at him with determination in her eyes, and nodded. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and Percy whirled around. It seemed as if the moon was hurtling towards them. He managed to dart to the side, and the huge rock whistled past them and sailed into the valley below.

'WHO DARES TO ENTER MY DOMAIN!', boomed a voice. 'I SHALL OFFER YOUR FLATTENED CORPSES TO THE EARTH MOTHER!'

Percy finally saw the god. He was standing a couple of hundred metres up, and he watched as he ripped off a huge chunk of stone from the mountain and prepared to throw. He was enormous, maybe 30 metres tall, his body bursting with muscles. He had a brilliant bald head, with a long white beard. His eyes were red and swirling with maddened anger. He was wearing only a brown tunic, and his hands, maybe the size of horses, were shaping the huge chunk of stone into a sphere.

'Wait!', yelled Percy. 'We do not wish to invade your mountain, only to talk to you!'

They dodged another huge stone, and it smashed into the ground beside them, throwing them all off their feet.

'I DO NOT WISH TO TALK! ONLY SMASH YOU!', screamed the god.

'Wait! We are opponents of your brother, Helikon!'

The god's arm froze in midair, and he slowly turned to look at them.

Percy warily stepped forward. 'You are Kithairon, are you not?'

The god looked at them in utter confusion, and Percy stood looking at him awkwardly. Suddenly, the god's eyes lit up and he cackled madly.

'That I am, young wolf. So, you face my brother? I hate him. He is arrogant and entitled, always thinking he can get away with everything. I want to kill him, young wolf. KILL HIM!'

Percy shifted his weight. 'Erm, yes. Your brother has allied himself with an enemy of ours, so he os our enemy too. We were wondering if you could-'

'Flatten his ugly head? Of course, I shall grant you this favour.'

'Actually, we have something else in mind', said Percy nervously, and the god's eyes narrowed. 'Helikon is letting our enemy use his mountain as a base. He awaits reinforcements, which will come from the north, passing your mountain. If you were to stop them-'

'Ugh. I do not get to kill my brother, then?'

'Not fight him, but if you stop the reinforcements we will be able to beat them, and your brother will be defeated, and suffer the wrath of the gods.'

'Will his head be smashed to bits?'

'Most probably'

The crazy god jumped into the air and clapped his hands in happiness. 'Excellent! Then I will grant you the favour of smashing these monster reinforcements. They shall enter my valley, and rocks shall fall on them like rain. They will be flattened into little pieces of flesh and bone! I haven't had this much fun in centuries. Farewell, my furry little friends.' His expression suddenly changed, and his red eyes looked at them threateningly. 'Now get off my mountain before a squash you like bugs'.