Grover's arrival with the reinforcements was taking longer than anticipated. Bianca, Nico, and Saiph had since abandoned dancing in favour of sitting in the bleachers. The dance itself didn't last long before devolving into chaos. After being strung up, the red and black balloons had been thrown around by boisterous guys. There was a big group of girls who would occasionally swarm an innocent boy and give him a "makeover." Saiph laughed heartily at this. She felt nostalgic about 2000s fashion, but it served as a reminder of where she was. That wasn't a terrible thing; it was simply unusual. Brightly coloured tank tops, low-waisted jeans, and more layers than a tourist in Canadian winter.
The young witch was beginning to worry when the doors to the Gymnasium opened and four figures stepped through the doorway. Nico was explaining the point system of Mythomagic when Saiph saw Grover. Much to Bianca's dismay, she gestured for him to move closer to the bleachers.
"Hey, are they here?" She inquired, stepping further away from the Di Angelos. Grover moved aside and gestured behind him. Standing there were three people, two girls and a boy. The boy looked familiar, they all did but Saiph couldn't place it. Her memory was that of an old dementia patient in a nursing home these days. She was seriously debating a CT scan at the nearest hospital if it kept up.
"Hi, I'm Saiph, uhm nice to meet you all." She introduced herself with a tight-lipped smile and a small awkward wave. There was that saying, never meet your idols.
The three teens stayed quiet, observing her with Hawk-like eyes. Grover, who seemed to pick up on the tension, gestured to them once more and said "Saiph, these are Annabeth, Percy, and Thalia. I'm sure you've seen them around camp."
Saiph scrunched her face and looked up as if the roof of the small gym held the answer she was looking for. "Uh… yeah maybe? Sorry, I'm usually only there for half the summer so I can spend time with my dad." Saiph waved dismissively, technically, it wasn't a lie. "But never mind that I'll just give you a quick rundown of the situation then we can get going. I'm sure Dr Thorn is going to make a move soon and once we tell them who they are the scent will become stronger. So I've partially packed their bags and mine's fully packed. I can tell them I want to get some fresh air so we'll do that while you guys can go to our rooms and get our stuff. Grover knows where they are. At this point the plan relies on how much they trust me, so just let me do the talking, okay?"
They nodded along while listening to the plan but stayed silent. Saiph clapped her hands together and her lips pulled into another tight smile as she looked around awkwardly "Great, so I'm gonna go. Grover, please show them the room." Before the Satyr could answer she rushed off towards the siblings once more.
Bianca and Nico smiled when she approached them. When she got back to the bleachers Saiph immediately hid her face in Bianca's shoulder and slumped. She let out a groan and pulled Nico into the hug while she fake cried. "Ah, that was so awkward. Seriously they just stared at me, was it something I said?"
Nico snuggled closer into the two girls, enjoying the warmth. For all the crowd It was surprisingly cold in the Gymnasium. "What was that about?" Bianca asked.
Saiph sighed and straightened herself up. "Nothing, Grover just introduced me to some friends of his and they didn't say a word to me while I was just rambling on. It was so awkward." She stood pulling the siblings up with her holding their hands and swinging them back and forth. "I'm going to get some fresh air, join me?"
Bianca looked playfully reluctant before agreeing. "Nico? You coming?" Saiph asked.
"Can we build a snowman?" Nico asked, his eyes shining excitedly.
Saiph glanced at Bianca who shrugged. When she looked back at Nico he was pulling the cutest puppy eyes Saiph had ever seen. She laughed and nodded. "Okay. why not? We can build a snowman. Wanna race?"
This method of distraction was surprisingly effective. The quicker they got out the better Saiph thought while racing through the hallways to the entry hall of the school. Then, she heard it. Footsteps thump slowly against the stone floor. When she looked back there was no one, but the hairs on her arms began to stand and her stomach churned. If there was something Saiph had learned from all her years as a demigod, it was to always trust her instincts.
By the time she noticed the looming figure in the hallway ahead of them it was already too late. A thump echoed through the hall when Nico, who was running in front, collided with the very person they were trying to escape. Dr Thorn.
"What are you doing out of the Gymnasium?" Dr Thorn didn't shout but his voice shook the walls around them, or maybe it was just Saiph who was shaking. Bianca looked terrified as she stuttered out an answer, desperately trying to pull Nico away from the teacher's hold. Her efforts were unsuccessful as the man grabbed hold of both of their wrists and started dragging them towards the backdoor.
Saiph stood frozen, mind battling against body to move. Her brain screaming to get over the fear and just move already. Steeling her nerves, she breathed, one… two… three… in, one… two… three… out. Repeat. By the time her joints unlocked her friends were out of sight. She raced after them knowing it was what Dr Thorn wanted. He was wary of her but not fearful and there was no way he didn't see her behind the di Angelo's.
He needed them alive, she rationalised, he would not hurt them. Despite these reassurances, the more primitive part of her brain knawed at her logic, inducing pulses of anxiety. At the end of the long dark hallway, there was a door that led to the front of the school. He must have taken them there.
Without thinking she burst through the doors only to find Bianca and Nico standing alone and terrified in the far corner of the hall. She rushed over to them as they yelled for her to stop.
"It's a trap!" Bianca shouted desperately but the warning fell on deaf ears as Saiph was knocked to the floor. Something sharp and painful stuck into the small of her black as the world grew murky with black. Through her haze she could faintly hear the sound of the door bursting open once more, shouting, and the clanging of metal on stone. Then, she was picked up and the world turned cold.
Percy struggled to concentrate as the poison ran through his system. After being hit by one of Dr Thorn's spikes his vision became foggy as he fought to stay awake. The dose he was hit with was less potent than the one given to the other camper, Saiph, who was now balanced haphazardly on one of the teacher's shoulders. but it was painful nonetheless.
After a failed resume attempt, Percy found himself in the same entrance hall he had arrived at not 30 minutes earlier. When he blindly rushed in he found the new demigod, Saiph, unconscious on the floor and the di Angelo siblings crouched near her, providing what little protection they could for their unconscious friend. The older one had tried to warn him of the incoming attack all too late when a sharp object pierced Percy's shoulder.
The son of Poseidon cursed, biting back insults towards the lion-man hybrid, it would only worsen their situation. He found himself wishing he could do more for the three other captives as the monster led them down a snowy path but there was much he could do with his sword arm aching as much as it did. The best option now was to wait for backup. He briefly stopped, closing his eyes and silently sending a message to Grover.
"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr Thorn. "Keep moving!"
Percy opened his eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder" he lied, trying his best to make his pain sound real. This was by no means hard as his shoulder began to sting and throb once more. "It burns."
"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!" Dr Thorn demanded as he marched them down the path one more. The path was lit by old-fashioned lamplights that glowed a dim orange. The forest around the group rustled as they drew closer to the salty breeze. They were nearing the ocean, Percy could smell the cold salty froth churning below the jagged cliff and couldn't help wondering what exactly the monster's plan was now. A boat maybe?
"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."
"What ride? And what did you do to Saiph? Why isn't she waking up?" Bianca angrily questioned the monster. Her fear was poorly hidden as she looked at her unconscious friend, but Percy had to give it to the girl, she was brave.
"Silence you insufferable girl!" Dr Thorn glared at the 12-year-old, "As for your little friend… well she must have passed out from the pain. How weak." He chuckled. Saiph shifted on his shoulder as if offended by the comment.
"Don't talk about my sisters that way!" Nico shouted. His voice quavered but Percy was impressed he was courageous enough to speak up, they would both make good campers after they got out of this. He was also confused, wasn't Bianca his only sister?
Dr Thorn stopped and made a growling sound that didn't sound entirely human. It made the hair on the back of Percy's neck stand straight. Then the growling subsided and they trudged on.
"Halt!" The monster commanded, holding a hand in the air. The air around them was misty and heavy. Waves swelled thunderously against the rocks about 100 meters below them as if reflecting their fear.
Dr Thorn pushed them closer to the ledge making Percy stumble. Bianca caught him. "Thanks," Percy murmured. They were so close to the edge now that if Percy dared to look down to the sea he would probably fall.
"What is he?" Bianca whispered, pulling Nico closer towards herself. "How do we fight him and save Saiph?"
"I… I'm working on it." Percy scanned the area looking for anything that could possibly help them with the situation.
"I'm scared," Nico mumbled fiddling with a small toy– a metal soldier of some kind. Percy was reminded of a night almost two years ago when he felt that same fear and hoped help would come soon.
"Stop talking!" Dr Thorn demanded. "Face me!" What was this? Boot camp? We turned. Thorn's two-toned eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first, Percy thought it was a switchblade, but it was only a phone. Totally unfair. He pressed the side button like a walkie-talkie, perhaps he wasn't as up to date with technology as he thought, and said, "The package – it is ready to deliver."
There was a garbled reply, and Percy realised that he was in walkie-talkie mode. Okay, maybe Percy was the one behind on technology but phones attracted monsters so it only made sense he didn't have one. Speaking of, this seemed too modern and creepy – a monster using a cell phone. It sounded like the opener to a bad joke.
As the waves roared below the cliffs Percy glanced behind him, wondering how far the drop was.
Dr Thorn laughed "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea save yourself."
"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.
Percy shook his head, "I'll explain later."
"You do have a plane right?"
Unfortunately, the genius plan he had thought up only went as far as staying quiet and waiting for help. Grover! Percy thought desperately. Come to me! Maybe he could get both the di Angelos to jump with him into the ocean. If they survived the fall, he could use the water to protect them. Things like that had happened before, but from this height, he only really risked it when he was alone. If Poseidon was in a good mood and listening, he might help, he also might expect something in return.
Jumping for their lives was all well and good until Percy considered the substantial oversight in that plan. An oversight that was currently hanging from Dr Thorn's shoulder like a marionette whose strings were cut. There was no way he could protect the di Angelos and fight, but he couldn't just leave her. Percy may not have known what the monsters were planning but from personal experience, it was nothing good.
"I would kill you before you ever reach the water," Dr Thorn said, as if reading Percy's thoughts. " you do not realise who I am, do you?" A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to him that it nicked his ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr Thorn – like a catapult, but more flexible… almost like a tail. Percy had some thoughts about that.
"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are all wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise, you would already be dead."
"Who wants us? Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I…" Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other"
Nico looked down at his feet and muttered, "And Saiph." Bianca didn't look at him.
"Aww," Dr Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."
"Luke," Percy said. "You work for Luke."
Dr Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when he heard the name. "You have no idea what is happening. Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."
"The General?" Percy asked before realised he'd said it in a French accent. "I mean… who's the General?'
Thorn looked towards the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation." Percy turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then he heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.
"Where are you taking us?" Nico said
"You should feel honoured, my boy. You will have to opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game, you play with cards and dolls."
"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and —"
"Now, now," Dr Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And, if you do not, well … there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."
"The Great what?" Percy asked. Anything to keep him talking while the Son of Poseidon came up with a new plan.
"The stirring of monsters," Dr Thorns smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all — the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"
"Okay," Bianca whispered to Percy. "He's completely nuts."
"Help will come soon but we'll have to distract him in the meantime. Try to Saiph and your brother away while I fight him."
"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."
Percy never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into him as his ears were filled with Dr Thorn's screams.
Pain was the first sensation Saiph experienced upon awakening; it felt as though someone had disembowelled her and then thrown her insides into a washing machine, only to cram them back in after the cycle was complete. She also felt nauseous, which probably wasn't the best combo with the swaying. Saiph fluttered her eyelids, eyes opening just enough to gauge her surroundings. Using her 'unconsiousness' to her advantage was her best bet at the moment. Especially when she didn't fully know the extent of the situation.
The sound of faint voices invaded her ears but it sounded filtered like her head was underwater. The chatter being accompanied by a mechanic hum. Light was dim and far between. Whatever she was lying on smelt of chemicals, like cheap drugstore cologne. There was only one person she knew with that taste in scent.
As for her mental state at the moment. Bad-ass Saiph from this universe and Ordinary Saiph from boring town were locked in close combat, circling and gaging reactions. Ah, a classic case of imposter syndrome. Joy. Logically she knew that there was only one Saiph but obviously her primitive monkey brain thought differently. Her only option now, and it was not the recommended one, was for Saiph to leave it alone and hope it cures itself.
Saiph had to stop herself from huffing in frustration. If only she hadn't frozen, She could have avoided this whole situation. Maybe that was a slight overestimation of her abilities but still. There was no place for fear or hesitation as a demigod, a fact that the witch had learned the hard way.
Sure, Saiph had beaten up other kids before but it was different when the worst punishment she could get was detention. With monsters, there was a threat of death. Being faced with your own mortality is a scary thing. You never know how you are going to react until you're in the moment. As soon as she could speak she would swear on the River Styx to never be so stupid again.
The swaying stopped on what about 10 minutes into the journey. Saiph deduced they had paused on one of the cliffs by sea as the breeze tasted of salt. The girl only vaguely remembered this chapter from the books. Something about hunters and a helicopter turning into birds.
From the faint voices she could hear, Saiph figured Percy was trying to stall for time, waiting for his friends. It was working, she acknowledged as she felt the deep rumble of Dr Thorn's voice vibrate through her body. Villains have always enjoyed their monologues, but that little benefit would quickly wear off. If Percy wanted them all to escape alive, and ideally unscathed, he had to move quickly. She would have to assist herself when he took this action, but she would also have to present Dr Thorn with a significant enough disadvantage that Percy could land a solid blow.
Easier said than done when you have no weapon and the upper body strength of a newborn baby. While weighing her options a warm buzz began to spread through her body. Her charm bracelet, the one she had worn since her first day in this world began to glow. It was just faint enough to send a message and not alert Dr Thorn to her consciousness. Very Convenient. Carefully Saiph reached out and touched one of the charms feeling new energy run through her as she did.
That would work. Saiph could feel Thorn getting more agitated as the conversation drew on. It was nearly action time.
The shift in the air was subtle as Saiph honed her senses on the faint crunching of snow. Taking a knife charm in her hand she pulled. The knife she now held was small and aerodynamic. Perfect, she thought as she twisted her body and plunged the blade right into Dr Thorn's left eye.
The Manticore yowled in pain and threw the girl to the ground making the air vacate her lungs. There was no time for pain as Thorn stomped and kicked holding his eye with a large paw. "You stupid girl!" He roared. "You had the chance to join the greatest army this world has ever seen! But now you will die the most painful death imaginable."
Saiph looked up at his hulking form from her new place on the floor. Her back ached but she had to move and find the knife she had dropped in her fall. She reached to her left where she could feel her palm glide over cold snow and then over the blunt leather handle of the knife.
Without warning Dr Thorn's boot was over her head ready to stomp out her brain. Before she could brace herself for the inevitably painful impact Saiph felt a sharp pull on the back of her coat. Her vision of the monster was now blocked by Bianca's form as she was hugged to the girl's chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Percy taking that vital swing at Dr Thorn.
The ever-present pain from Thorn's poison pulsed through her once more as the adrenaline began to wear off. Leaving her body limp as she watched the fierce battle playing out before her.
Thalia, the older girl with short black hair and electric eyes, surged towards the monster. Spear and shield in hand. The Spear seemed to spark as it clanged against her shield. The shield, for lack of better words, was terrifying. The shield itself wasn't inherently scary but the aura it gave off seemed to activate a primal fear in any living being that laid eyes on it. Maybe it had something to do with the curse placed on Medusa, the shield figurehead, whatever it was it was very unpleasant. Especially when your body was still recovering from being stabbed, poisoned and jostled around.
"For Zeus!" Thalia moved in with her spear, jabbing at his head and targeting the weak eye. Apparently, Saiph hadn't done as much damage as she thought as Dr Thorn snarled and knocked the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield. If it wasn't for the shield, Aegis, Thalia would have been sliced like a loaf of bread.
The Machanic hum had risen to an unbearable level making Saiph shift her head to look for the source of the noise. She was surprised to find a military-grade helicopter hanging above the edge of the cliff. Lighting the battle with too bright LEDs.
Bianca gasped above her, drawing Saiph's attention back to the fight just in time to see Dr Thorn launch a volley of missiles from a spiky scorpion-like tail protruding from his back. First all gross, second all, those missiles must have been what hit her in the entrance hall. A projectile capable of injecting poison once it hits its target.
Grover played a frantic jig on the pipes as Saiph witnessed the true form of Dr Thorn for a second time. He was larger, his body now mimicking the body of a huge lion. The leathery scorpion tail whipped impatiently at his back.
"A Manticore!" The blonde girl, Annabeth, gasped, suddenly appearing from nowhere and Saiph found herself wondering how much Chiron had actually informed them about the situation.
"Who are you people?" Bianca demanded. "And what is that"
"A manticore?" Nico gasped from his place next to his sister. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"
Saiph chuckled weakly. "Unfortunately the real thing is not at all like the game. But it's okay, Bianca," The dark-eyed girl turned her attention back to Saiph. "These guys know what they're doing so we'll be safe soon."
Another round of spikes flew in their direction as Annabeth tackled the three flat on the ground. The spikes were thankfully intercepted by Percy as he stepped in front of them with his own shield, being pushed back by the force of the impact.
"What do you mean?" Bianca questioned once it was safe again. "Do you know these guys?"
"Well no, not really, but we go to the same camp so if you trust me, trust them. I can explain everything as soon as we're safe, okay? But right now we have to focus on getting away from the monster so they can protect you." Saiph explained softly.
Bianca looked conflicted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Saiph, what are you saying? You sound just as crazy as the rest of them." There was desperation in her voice like she hoped everyone would just turn around and say. 'Surprise, you've been pranked.
Saiph shook her head and clamped her hand onto Bianca's as her eyes turned serious. "Bianca listen. The gods are real and sometimes they come down to earth and have children. We are those children and so are you and Nico. I had a plan, I was going to tell you when we were safe but ignorance won't protect you now. You need to accept this, it's the only way you will survive what's to come."
Tears slipped from Bianca's eyes as she only shook her head harder, Saiph didn't get the chance to comfort her though because just then a volley of arrows shot across the sky right into Dr Thorn. The air went still and no one moved as a clear, piercing sound echoed through the clearing.
"No," Dr Thorn said. "It cannot be —" he staggered back in agony as another silvery arrow penetrated his shoulder. "Curse you!" He cried, unleashing a flurry of spikes into the woods where the arrows had come from. Just as fast, more arrows intercepted them with striking accuracy. It almost looked like each arrow had split a spike in half.
Dr Thorn pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. Percy tried to swipe at him with his sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged Percy's attack and slammed his tail into the boy's shield, effectively knocking him back and making Saiph wince.
Then the archers came from the woods, They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest of them maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, which probably weren't the most comfortable things to run around in, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.
"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.
One of the older hunters stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was graceful and quite tall, her copper skin seemed to glow in the moonlight as she held her weapon steady. Unlike the other girls, she had an ornate silver circlet braided onto the crown of her long dark hair. Resembling a sort of tiara. "Permission to kill, my lady?"
It was almost impossible to see who she was talking to but Dr Thorn wailed like he knew the answer. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the ancient law." She would think being alive for millenia you would eventually stop throwing temper tantrums when things didn't go as planned. Kudos to the one and only Manticore for proving her wrong.
"Not so," another girl said. This girl was shorter and a bit younger than the other, maybe 12 or 13. She had auburn hair back into a ponytail and breath-taking silver-yellow eyes, like the moon. Her face looked like it had been sculpted to perfection by a master craftsman, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoë, Permission granted."
Thorn growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!" He lunged at Thalia and Percy, knowing they were weak and dazed.
"No!" Annabeth yelled and she charged at the monster.
"Get back half-blood!" Zoë said. "Get out of the line of fire!"
But Annabeth leapt onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The Manticore howled, turning in circles with his tailing flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life. Saiph, who was the closest to the situation clawed her way across the ground still feeling weak, but she had to do something.
"Fire!" Zoë ordered.
"No!" Percy screamed. But the hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backwards, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!" Almost there.
Now she was right next to them, going almost unnoticed due to her position on the floor. Carefully reaching a hand up she firmly grabbed onto Annabeth's right ankle, making the girl look down. 'Let go on my signal' Saiph mouthed up at her, receiving a small nod in return.
As Dr Thorn swayed over the edge of the cliff she got ready, closer, closer, now! And just like that Annabeth was safe. Granted her body was half over the cliff, but it was an improvement at least. "It's okay," Saiph muttered to Annabeth. "I'm going to pull you up now ready?"
Before Annabeth could respond they both felt a great pull, and suddenly they were over the side of the cliff, falling into the darkness that awaited below.