A shiver travelled down Saiph's spine at what she was seeing. Looking back it was almost blatantly obvious. The ominous atmosphere, the name. Sitting in front of her was a fully transformed Dr Thorn. His leathery spiked tail whipped erratically by his side as he argued with a person out of Saiph's view. His face remained human but his body was that of a huge lion with razor-sharp claws.
"There is another one in the school. She is more experienced than the rest. 'Er scent is strong. We'll need to move quickly." They were talking about her, they knew she was a demigod. Saiph didn't stay for the rest of the conversation, her jacket long forgotten. Dr Thorn was a manticore, one that would be difficult to take on alone. In her panic, it appeared she had taken a wrong turn as she now found herself in the boy's dormitories.
Breathing heavily, Saiph slumped against a wall taking strangled breaths as she tried her best to calm down. It felt like the world was closing in around her. Her mind was running with so many scenarios, solutions, and possibilities that it was impossible to distinguish one thought from another. Her head felt heavy and the tears bled from her eyes uncontrollably. It was when Saiph finally stopped crying that Grover found her. He said nothing, simply ushering her into his room down the hall and wrapping her in a warm weighted blanket
He talked the noirette through breathing exercises trying not to get too worked up himself. Seeing Saiph like this genuinely scared the satyr. To see a previously unshakable girl turn into a shaking mess nearly brought him into tears of anxiety. What could be so bad?
Saiph, on the other hand, was disappointed in herself. She felt pathetic panicking over a single monster. She had seen, killed, and trained Greek monsters before. At least, this body had. At Hogwarts, she lived amongst all sorts of creatures and she had never once been scared of them. So why was she now? Perhaps it was the reality of her situation that finally hit her like a truck. This was her first quest after all. At camp, her encounters with monsters had always been in a controlled environment. Sure, you could get hurt, but you would never risk death. Even at Hogwarts where the adult supervision was lax at best, the monsters had never even thought of hurting her.
Overall though, she felt like an imposter. This wasn't her life. Wasn't her body. It wasn't her skill or personality. This whole time she had been acting. Now the jig was up. Saiph had the knowledge and physical prowess, but what she did not have was the mental strength to go with it. Monsters were all the Saiph of this world had ever known. This Saiph, however, had been a spoilt homebody who hid herself from the real world by burying her face in science fiction and fantasy. If she was going to survive here she would have to toughen up and fast.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like that." Saiph sniffled, hiding her face under the blanket. She hated people seeing her cry. "Please, just forget about it. I was overreacting." Grover was taken aback by this but did not comment.
"No, no. I-it's okay just tell me what's wrong." He stuttered, not really knowing what to think of the situation. Saiph recounted she had seen and heard at Dr Thorn's office. By the time she was finished, Grover was pacing around the room, nibbling on an old Coke can. "This is bad, really bad. I thought we would have more time. No one's seen a manticore since the Gods were in Britain. We have to contact camp." Saiph nodded and tossed him a spare Drachma that she kept in case of emergencies. They together moved into the communal bathroom where Saiph scrunched her nose at the smell. Thankfully there was a lock on the main door.
It wasn't the best set up but it would have to do.
"Oh, Iris, Goddess of the rainbow. Please accept our offering and show us Chiron at Camp Half-blood." Grover chanted, splashing the golden coin into the running tap. The mirror in front of them rippled into an image of camp. Like last time, Chiron and Mr D were sitting on the veranda playing pinochle. There was a Dryad joining them this time. She was beautiful with soft curly locks, velvet green skin, and pointed ears.
" Hello, Saiph, Grover. Do you have an update?" Asked Chiron with a kind smile. Grover nodded nervously, almost hesitant to tell them the situation. Saiph said nothing. Instead opting to hide her face beneath her hair and hope to the gods they didn't notice her puffy eyes and red nose.
"Saiph dear. Have you been crying?" Chiron's smile dropped slightly like he already knew what was wrong. There goes that plan. Saiph bowed her head dejectedly before wiping her eyes and putting on a cheery grin.
"Nope. No. why would you think that?" She tried to laugh but it came out more like a squeak. "Sorry. Uhm anyway to answer your question yes there has been an update. Would you like the good news or the bad news first?" When she glanced over at Grover he was looking at her strangely. 'What' she mouthed but Grover only shook his head and turned back to the I.M.
"I supposed we should get this over with, the bad news." Mr D spoke up, looking quite curious about the information.
"Shit," Saiph muttered, her smile dropping to a frown, "I was hoping they would go for the good news." Then the smile was back. "It's not the best. I suppose that's why they call it 'bad news'. But uhm… there is a… monster and it is a uh… Manticore. Which is a problem but I'm sure we can deal with it. We might need a bit of help. On the other hand, I've made great friends with Bianca and Nico. And I'm 98% certain they will not freak out when we tell them they're Demigods. In fact, little Nico is–" Saiph rambled.
"I'm sorry, did you say Manticore? That's certainly a development. He hasn't been sighted in many centuries. Bad news indeed. Did you find out who he is?" Chiron inquired, looking thoughtful. He wasn't too disturbed by the news which was a good sign in Saiph's book.
"Yes, we did. He's the Biology and French teacher and he knows we're here. I heard him talking to someone in his office about Demigods." Saiph fidgeted nervously. It was not unusual for monsters to work together but those occasions were mostly situational. Monsters coordinating like this was a real bad sign.
"Get those other Demigods out as soon as possible. I will send for backup but it may take a while for them to arrive." Chiron turned to the Dryad next to him. "Juniper dear, could you please fetch Annabeth? Tell her it's urgent." Then he looked at Grover. "The Manticore may attack before help arrives. Be prepared to run and fight. I am sorry we can not do more for you." Grover gulped and looked green but nodded anyway.
"I will not fail you, sir." The young Satyr bleated.
"You better not, boy. You're searcher's license is already on thin ice. If you lose another Demigod there will be no more chances." Mr D glared. He had been silently listening until then but what he had heard perturbed him greatly. Monsters collaborating was a testimony to the dark times ahead of them.
"Yes sir." Grover shakily answered.
"Now you girl. Is there any indication of who their Godly parent might be?" Mr D interrogated.
"No, just their appearance. They both have dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. The younger is cheerful while the older is reserved but fun when she opens up. Uh… Their mother was Italian if that helps." Saiph tried to recall any other factor linking them to a god but came up blank.
"How old did you say they were?" The God appeared contemplative as he asked this. As if trying to recall all the women he had ever slept with.
"Ten and Twelve, sir."
"Not mine then." With that, he conjured a magazine and some Diet Coke and checked out of the conversation. Saiph simply nodded, glad she would not need to converse with the God any longer. At the best of times, she found Mr D amusing but often he was quite rude and hard to talk to. A loud ring echoed through the bathroom. The dinner bell. Nico and Bianca would be waiting for her and they would be worried if she didn't show up. Grover could handle the rest. Saying her goodbyes, Saiph sped out of the bathroom towards the Cafeteria. Just missing the blonde princess curls that came into frame.
The two days went by smoothly and Dr Thorn had yet to make his move. That was a good thing of course. The more demigods they had to fight him the better chances they had of winning and staying alive. The anticipation was killing Saiph though. She wanted the fight over and done with so she could finally relax.
It was now the night of the school dance. Saiph's first school dance. In Saiph's OR (Original Reality) she lived in a country where the only fun event was a no-uniform day. So to say she was excited was an understatement.
Getting ready with Bianca was one of the funnest things she had ever experienced. Their relationship had grown even more over the past two days making them feel almost like real sisters. Sometimes when Saiph would look at Bianca smiling so carefree she would feel a pang of guilt. She felt bad for lying so much even if it was necessary. After she knew the truth, the young girl would never be the same again.
"C'mon, it's just a bit of makeup. You'll look so good no one will be able to take their eyes off of you. Especially the boys." Saiph nudged Bianca playfully and winked. Tonight was going to be fun whether Bianca liked it or not. One last normal night before the disaster that was demigod life.
"I don't want the boys to look at me," Bianca murmured.
Saiph shrugged. "Fair enough, boys suck anyway but tonight will be great regardless. You don't have to do much but promise me one dance, okay?"
Bianca blushed before pulling her hat down to hide her growing redness. "Okay," she said dismally.
"Uh, uh, uh. Chin up. What have I said about the hat?" Saiph asked staring into Bianca's eyes.
"That I should show my eyes more often. That they are beautiful." Bianca chorused absentmindedly. Saiph had spent the last few days of friendship trying to give the girl a confidence boost and it was paying off.
"Yes! You're finally getting it! But remember your eyes may be beautiful but so is the rest of you no matter what. I promise tonight you won't have to do anything you don't want to. Unless you don't want to have fun. Then I'll have to force you." Saiph cheered. Bianca blushed more if that was even possible. "Now to choose an outfit." Saiph's enthusiastic wardrobe haul was cut short by a knock at the door.
The Noirette closed her suitcase, which had been set to muggle mode and walked to the door. Dreading she would be right about what was behind it.
Grover stood awkwardly in the hallway, no doubt hearing Saiph's confident speech for Bianca. Saiph's eyes darkened knowing what this meant. She glanced behind her at Bianca, who was comparing jeans, a tight smile stretching across her face. "When are they coming?" She asked Grover lowly but her attention was still focused on the di Angelo girl.
"Tonight. Before the dance." Grover confessed. He had noticed that Saiph had been acting cheerier lately. As if to make up for all the pain yet to come.
"That's okay," Saiph said hollowly. "We will just have to make the best of what we have." Westover Hall may have majorly sucked as a school but it was a truckload better than life on the run.
The plan was to get Bianca and Nico out of there as soon as backup arrived. Avoiding all confrontations with the Manticore was decidedly the best option. To do that, they would need to tell them everything. Meaning their scent would get stronger, attracting monsters for miles. Adding to that, depending on who camp sent, the group would be travelling in a pack of 4-6 Demigods and a Satyr. All of which would paint a huge target on their backs.
After the initial help, there was no guarantee that camp would be able to reach them again until they got to Long Island.
Saiph skipped her last two periods after lunch and discreetly packed Bianca and Nico's things. Not enough for them to notice but enough to make all the difference when they needed to pack fast. That's what would make or break this plan, swiftness.
The Gym was blooming with life when the three kids arrived, Grover had already gone off to greet the backup. Saiph made sure Bianca and Nico were dressed to the nines but still comfortable enough to run. They would have time for one song, maybe two. Without thinking twice, Saiph dragged the siblings to the dancefloor, spinning them around and dancing like crazy. She probably looked insane, but it made the trio laugh.
Outside, a car pulled in front of the school marking the arrival of three newcomers. Sleet and snow pounded the stone road around them and the wind carried an icy chill.
The oak doors groaned open and three new faces stepped into the entry hall followed by a whirlwind of snow.
"Whoa," was all the boy with ocean eyes could say as he observed the massive space lined with antique weaponry. The hall gave him a faint sense of deja vu. The old swords and shields were not unlike the ones they had in the armoury at camp. Except less crowded and rusty.
"I wonder where–" The girl with blonde princess curls and thunderous grey eyes was cut off by the doors slamming shut behind them. The trio stumbled further into the hall uncomfortably.
"O-okay, guess we'll stay awhile," The ocean-eyed boy mumbled. He ran a hand through his messy black hair and looked back to his companions. The other girl who looked slightly older shrugged and continued forwards. Her eyes flashing a fierce electric blue in the dim light.
The music from outside was clearer now. It sounded old but poppy with a little dance mixed in. The sort of thing you would expect from a middle school dance. At least that's what the boy thought, he had never actually been to one before. The three stashed their overnight bags behind a pillar and approached the designated meeting place.
They hadn't gone far when they heard marching footsteps echoing on the stone floor. From around the corner emerged a man and a woman. They both had short grey hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy moustache and the guy was clean-shaven. They both walk stiffly, the woman more so like an old governess and the man like a soldier.
"Well?" The women demanded. "What are you doing here?"
"Uhm…" The boy glanced at his companions in panic, realising he hadn't planned for this. Three kids sneaking into a school at night was suspicious enough but now the teachers were looking at him expectantly making his brain stall. "Ma'am, we're just⎯"
"Ha!" The man snapped, making the boy jump "Visitors are not allowed at the dance. You shall be ejected" His accent sounded French, but in a fake sort of way. From where he was standing the dark-haired boy could smell the cheap cologne that radiated from him. He was tall with a hawkish face and his eyes were two different colours, one brown one blue. Like alleycats. His uniqueness put aside, there was something not quite right about him, causing uneasiness to swell in the boy.
Just as the boy thought the man would toss them out, the punk girl stepped forward and snapped her fingers. A gush of air brushed through the room, rustling the banner and chilling the occupants. "Oh, but we're not visitors sir," the girl said. "We go to school here. You remember. I'm Thalia and this is Annabeth and Percy. We are in the eighth grade."
The male teacher narrowed his two coloured eyes. Then, he hesitated and looked at his colleague. "Miss Gottschalk? Do you know these students?"
The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance "I⎯ Yes, I believe I do, Sir." She frowned at the three teens "Annabeth, Thalia, Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?" Before they could answer, more footsteps were heard and Grover ran up, breathless.
"You made it! You⎯" He stopped short as though he had just seen the teachers standing there. "Oh! Mrs Gottschalk, Dr Thorn. I Uh⎯" He exclaimed, Dr Thorn cut him off halfway through a sentence and glared.
"What is it, Mr Underwood?" Said the man, his tone gave away the contempt he had for the student. "What do you mean they made it? These students live here, just like the rest of you."
Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr Thorn. I just meant I'm so glad they made … The punch for the dance! The punch is great. Saiph loves it." He turned to Dr Thorn "You know her. Right? And they made it!"
Dr Thorn glared but nodded along anyway."Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!" Mrs Gottschalk lectured.
The four teens scurried out of there with a lot of 'Yes Ma'ams' and 'Yes Sirs'. Annabeth looked contemplative as they made their way to the gymnasium. Then, she stopped and let out a noise that sounded like a mix between an 'aha' and a cheer. "That's it!" She exclaimed. 'That's where I know her from, Saiph. Saiph from camp. The kid from the Hermes cabin. She's here?" Her question was directed at Grover, who looked sheepish.
Grover rubbed the back of his neck and looked down "Uh⎯ Yeah. I may have forgotten to mention that in the message. But yeah. She's here and she's befriended the other demigods to make extraction easier. Just⎯ be gentle with her, she's kind of freaking out cause this is her first mission and all⎯ but don't tell her I told you that!"
Percy looked at him funny. "Who?"
"You know, the one that knocked you out in that capture the flag game." Thalia laughed, picturing the image.
Percy's face scrunched "Oh, her."