Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse
New Point of View! Introducing Thalia!
Chapter 1 (Thalia) The Half-Bloods
I've been human for a few months now. It was OK, especially since Annabeth was around the same age as I am now. When she told me that Luke betrayed us and that Adrian was Kronos, I raged. I always looked at Luke as an older brother and role model. Turns out, he was more backstabbing filth than friendly family. So, there we were, riding Mrs Jacksons car to Westover Hall, a school where Grover had called us. Mrs Jackson is the mother of Percy Jackson, a son of Poseidon. Annabeth told me he was very powerful. I didn't see anything powerful about him. I looked outside. The window was all fogged up so I couldn't see a single thing. I wiped the fog off with my sleeve.
"Oh yeah, that sure looks like fun." We had arrived at Westover Hall. Mrs Jackson looked back at us.
"Are you sure you don't need me to wait for you?"
"No mum. We'll be fine." Percy intervened quickly.
"Are you sure?"
Annabeth leaned forward. "We'll be fine, Mrs Jackson. We'll look after your son." She smiled.
I smirked at Percy when he turned red with embarrassment. We got outside and we waved goodbye at Mrs Jackson.
"You're mum's pretty awesome." I told Percy.
He shrugs. "I guess."
I grinned at Annabeth. "Those baby stories were pretty interesting."
She laughed and gave me a high-five. Percy grumbled at trudged towards the gate. We followed after him. The first impression that Westover Hall gave me was dark. Also, dreary. It was depressing. I rubbed my silver bracelet. Something wasn't right about this place but Grover had sent a distress signal. We walked into the entrance hall and the doors slammed shut behind us. Percy's hand crept to his pocket. I knew he was reaching for his pen-sword, Riptide. From the shadows ahead of us, two people emerged from the darkness. A man and a woman.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the woman questioned. I did some quick thinking and remembered what Chiron told me. Mist manipulation. I snapped my fingers.
"Surely you remember us. I'm Thalia. This is Annabeth and Percy. We go to school here and we're in the eighth grade."
The man looked at the woman. "Mrs Gottschalk, do you know these students?" I held back a giggle. Got Chalk. Funny name for a teacher. We were saved from further interrogation by Grover. He appeared at the end of the corridor and started limping towards us. "Guys! You made it! I-" He stopped when he saw our company. The man rounded on Grover. "What do you mean, they made it?"
"Oh Dr Thorn, they made it just in time for the dance to start."
Nice save, Grover.
"Get inside, Thalia, Annabeth and Percy." Said Mrs Gottschalk. Her expression was vacant, dreamy. We hurried on past Dr Thorn and followed Grover. Percy looked a bit disgruntled. I asked him is he was okay.
"I'm fine. Um… How did you do that finger snap thing?"
Oh.
"The Mist. Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do it?"
He shook his head and we walked on. Once we were out of the teacher's eyesight and hearing, Grover hugged Annabeth and me. Percy gave him a high five. I decided to get to the reason for why we came.
"So, two half-bloods, you say?"
Grover nodded. "A sister and brother. Bianca and Nico di Angelo." We walked through the big doors that said GMY. MGY. GYM. My bad. Grover looked behind us nervously. "Also, I forgot to tell you guys. There's a monster here."
Percy drew his pen. "Where?"
Annabeth reached for her dagger. "Who?"
Grover panickily told them to put the weapons away. "No, no. Besides, those probably won't work against him."
"Him?" I asked.
"Dr Thorn."
The music started and kids started to dance with each other. "C'mon, guys. Dance." I said. Grover chewed his shirt nervously.
"I can't dance."
I grabbed his hand. "I'll lead." I pulled him away from the others and onto the dance floor. Annabeth smiled at me and I grinned back. Percy was all flustered and looked around. Annabeth grabbed his hand and they pair started to dance. I grinned at Grover. He smiled at the pair. We carried on for a while. On a turn, I looked around for the di Angelo siblings but didn't see them. I stopped dancing and Grover gasped. He looked at me with worry in his eyes.
"Percy's in trouble!" he exclaimed.
"How do you know that?"
"Empathy link." Annabeth had joined us. "The half-bloods are gone."
We hurried away from the gym and out into the corridor. Grover led the way and we stumbled to a back gate. In the snowstorm, I could see an outline of Dr Thorn, Percy and the two di Angelos. We gathered around.
"Alright, Annabeth. You put that cap on and go around and push the three of them onto the ground. I'll advance from the back and Grover on the left." The others nodded and we went into action. I waited for the exact moment for Annabeth to push Percy and the di Angelos down. Once they were down, I advanced.
"For Zeus!" I yelled. I jabbed my spear at Dr Thorn's head but he swatted it away and snarled. He began to change. I brought my shield, Aegis, up. He winced at the sight of Medusa's head and backed off slightly.
"A manticore!" Annabeth exclaimed.
"What the heck is that?" Bianca di Angelo screamed at the sight of Dr Thorn's true form.
"A manticore!" gasped Nico di Angelo. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws."
I jumped back when the manticore swiped a claw at me.
"Yield!" The monster roared.
Yeah, and you're just going to let us go.
"Never!" I yelled back. I charged the manticore but before I could reach him, a helicopter emerged over the side of the cliff. The helicopter turned on its searchlights which blinded me. I fell down and felt the manticore getting nearer.
"NO!" Percy yelled. He ran over to me and help up a shield.
Dr Thorn laughed. "You have nowhere to go. You cannot beat me. You are just puny heroes."
Then I heard it. The call of a hunting horn from the woods on the opposite side of the cliff. The call of Artemis. Dr Thorn snarled and unleashed a wave of spikes down into the woods. Just as quickly, silver arrows shot back. Some hit the manticore and the monster wailed in pain. The Hunters emerged from the woods. I groaned, not from the pain but from the prospect and idea of seeing the Hunters again.
Annabeth exclaimed. "The Hunters!"
"Oh wonderful." I muttered. Zoë Nightshade walked forwards. She looked back a young girl with auburn hair that had to be Artemis. "Permission to kill, my lady?"
Artemis nodded. "Permission granted."
Dr Thorn wailed again. "That's not fair." He sounded like a whiny three year old that didn't get candy for Halloween. "If I can't have them alive, I'll take them dead." He lunged at me and Percy.
"NO!" yelled Annabeth. She jumped onto the manticores back and held on. The monster thrashed when Annabeth stabbed her knife into the monster's mane. The Hunters aimed their bows. Percy yelled at them to stop. They fired. The manticore, overwhelmed by the Hunters, leapt off the cliff and into the river below.
"Annabeth!" He screamed. He rushed towards the edge and looked down. The helicopter opened fire on us and most of the Hunters leapt out of the bullet's trajectory. However, Artemis calmly raised her hand at the helicopter and it burst into a flock of ravens. The Hunters advanced on us. Zoë spotted me.
"You." She said.
I struggled to keep the rage out of my voice. "Zoë Nightshade. Perfect timing."
She looked away at Artemis. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my Lady."
"Chiron's campers." Artemis said simply.
Percy screamed and yelled. "Annabeth! We need to go saver her!" I've never seen him like this before. Artemis walked up to him.
"You're friend is beyond help, Percy Jackson. You will not throw yourself down this cliff." A couple of Hunters held him down.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" screamed Percy.
Zoë started forwards, only to be stopped by Artemis.
"I sense no disrespect. He is simply distraught." She looked around. "Set up camp here."
Percy sobbed. Artemis knelt next to him. "You asked who I was, Percy Jackson. I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt."