Me and Bill raced towards the crowd of people and the murder of crows, or random birds. The sweat lined our foreheads as we prepared ourselves. Muscles aching to battle.
I rose my sword and swung at a group of birds attacking a Demeter kid. He had no weapon nor armor and was bleeding quite a bit. My sword connected and sliced through 3 birds but 2 other flew up to avoid my attack. I went Infront of the Demeter kid and told him to "GET YOUR ASS OUTA HERE."
I say Tantalus getting attacked by some birds and ignoring my mind telling me to not help him, I ran over and sliced through the birds like butter.
I cut up the birds that attempted to attack him. 'Where is Mr. D when you need him.' I thought to my self while swinging my sword. Every swing killed 1 or 2 birds. I was on a rampage as I ran through the crows, slicing dodging and moving to avoid their sharp wings as they tried to do a 'fly by'.
I think I managed to slay at least 20 birds, though I wasn't counting. I threw my self Infront of those who were injured or did not have a Propper means to protect themselves. One of the birds came stright towards my head and I didn't have time to move. So I opened my mouth and caught the birds neck. Its head was inside my mouth and the body was outside. I bit down.
'One less bird.' I turned to see Bill get swarmed by easy 10 birds trying to get some goat meat. My hips and feet turned, the rest of my body followed as I rushed towards Bill. I swung at a bird that was about to pierce Bills nape and continued to plow through 4 more birds that came towards me. Suddenly I felt pain in my heel and my side. I turned to see the birds drilling their beaks through my heel and liver.
I fought through the pain as I throw them off of me. But more came. Multiple birds swarmed my head and tried to drill a way to my brain. I swung my hand and hit them off of me. I looked around to see more and more people getting to injured to fight.
I knew I had to do something since most of the spectators were unarmed and were quickly getting shredded.
I gathered my courage and yelled towards the flock of murder birds, "HEY YOU RAW KFC, YOU WANT SOME COME AND GET ME!" I yelled as all the birds turned towards me like robots and began to chase me. Uh oh, I turned on my heels and bolted towards one thing that could help, the climbing wall.
I ran so fast that the birds were beginning to lose speed. I had to slow down until a metallic feather pierced through my arm. I pulled it out and decided to keep my speed up. 'Come on powers work. It saved me from the bull's heat so I can survive lava.' I told my self as I aimed the feather towards the panel that controls the climbing wall. 'Please Apollo guild this feather.' I prayed.
I threw it and it hit the "Lava" button perfectly. I focused my eyes towards the climbing wall as it erupts in lava. More feathers hit my back making me a porcupine. I shift my body into one that someone would to break down a door and pulled all my strength here.
"COME ON!" I yelled as I ran, the birds right behind me. '10 feet, 5 feet, NOW' I yelled to my self as I launched my self into the wall and heard a "CRACK" then I broke through to the other side. I quickly rolled as hundreds of birds flew through the lava and fall down where I was. The smell reminded me of KFC.
I felt my blood drip as I look down to the puddle of my blood. My breathing slowed as I fell. I looked at my hand and saw that me pinky was completely shredded showing the bone. I saw the campers rush to the climbing wall as I pass out.
Bill POV
I saw Atem rush away as the birds followed him. I prayed to every god hoping he would live. I tried to chase after them but my foot was drilled completely through by a bird and was difficulty to walk. I looked around and saw a blood bath. Some campers completely covered in blood. Then Percy and Annabeth rush out of the big house with a music box... completely unharmed...
Words couldn't decibel the rage I felt. Percy Jackson, retriever of the lighting bolt. Hero of Olympus. Hid away to make out with a girl and bring music to this blood bath? While Atem saved us? A kid who barley been here for a week?
The rage numbed my pain as I stood and began to run, well try to, towards where Atem went. Suddenly someone helped me walk. It was Robin, a Demeter kid. We began to try to rush towards Atem, this knocked the other out of their trance at Percy. They grabbed their weapons as we run towards the climbing wall.
As we neared it, I smelled something that resembled fried chiken for some reason, then I realized what Atem had done. Everyone at camp knew that Atem had somehow shown to be immune to fire when he saved Clarssie but no way would he be that crazy to go through lava.
It was angled to where we can see both sides. On one side was gushing lava. On the other was... Atem... In a pool of blood and feathers sticking out of him like a porcupine.
I ran to him and checked his pulse and breath. He looked pale and his eyes were closed. His hair was partly red and his clothes were painted in blood.
"He's alive!" I yelled as 4 Apollo kids pick his head up and give him nectar and quickly rush to the nurse station. While patching his bleeds with bandages. I rushed with him as I shot a dirty look towards Percy who was walking towards us.
I felt stares at I walked up to Percy and pulled back my arm.
"PAM" I punched him with all my strength, causing him to fall down. Seeing how he was completely unharmed while there was some kids on death beds just fueled my rage.
Everyone was watching us now.
"Percy Jackson, you beat Ares, THE GOD OF WAR. You got back the lightning bolt. BUT SOMEHOW YOU RAN AWAY WHEN CAMP WAS ATTACKED. ATEM IS NEARLY DEAD BUT YOU'RE COMPLETELY UNHARMED BECAUSE YOU RAN AWAY. YOU ARE THE SON OF POSSIDEN BUT ATEM HAD JUST CAME HERE A WEEK AGO.
SO TELL ME WHY DID YOU LEAVE ALL OF THIS TO HIM WHILE YOU GO AND HIDE IN A NICE AND COZY ROOM WITH ANNABETH. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A HERO, BUT NO. YOU RAN. FOR ALL I KNOW YOU COULD HAVE BEEN MAKING OUT WITH HER, WHILE WE WERE BEING RIPPED TO SHREDS."
I breathed in, trying to catch my breath after all my yelling. " You're a disappointment." I turned and limped away.
Percy looked down in hopefully shame. I was ready to continue to lay into him but I had more important matters at hand. My best friend was 2 feet into the grave and was only out of the gave by a hair. The birds drilled through his flesh making gory holes in his body.
My foot was beginning to hurt again but I bit my tongue to ignore the pain. 'I can handle this if Atem could handle all those birds.' I continued to walk with the Apollo kids until one of them noticed my foot and told the others that they will need to work overtime.
__________________________________________________________________________________;-;
Atem POV
I felt heavy as if my body was being crushed by rocks . I slowly opened my eyes. My eyesight was blurry so I closed and reopened my eyes as they got clearer.
"Hey you wake my man" Bill said bolstering a smile. I returned the smile as I tried to get up but to no avail as Bill pushed me down. With a worrying face plastered he said "You really should not get up, wait like a day or so then get up." I was hoping that he was joking at the end.
I took a second to really look at myself. I was covered in bandages and my body ached with every move. 'Those birds really did a number on me' I looked at bill and opened my mouth "You got some food? I'm starved"
"Yeah dinner is in 30 minutes. And from what I heard, it going to be KFC like. Thanks to you."
I laughed at the reminder of those birds smelling like KFC, Bill joined me in laugher. He helped me up as we walked towards the smell of KFC. It did take a good struggle for me to walk but I'd manage.
Bill also informed me that Percy and Annabeth were on punishment for running away when the birds attacked. Oh and Tyson was also punished but lighter since he helped. Don't know why he was punished.
Once we got to the dining pavilion I could smell the aroma of KFC fried chicken and could see fried chicken laid out plus some other food.
seems like they were making pretty good chicken, and I wasn't going to ask how they turned up to be fried. Don't look at a gift horse in the mouth, they say.
I sat down where the Hermes cabin was. There was a empty seat next to Travis and Conner. That I assumed was reserved for me since most of the time all of the seats would be packed.
I was then assured when Travis patted the seat next to him and waved me over.
"Hey if it isn't the man of the hour." Travis said while spotting a smile.
"Yeah we saved you a seat." Conner said. I made my way over and sat down. I felt all my energy flow through my legs as I let out a sigh.
I set my eyes on the food as Conner began to tell me what we got.
"Fried chicken, mac and cheese, rolls, and apple pie. All the goods thanks to you." Conner said while we grabbed some of the fried chicken to give to the gods.
Once it was my turn I prayed to who ever my godly parent was 'Heyo how are you? Good I hope and thanks for the help today'
We finished doing dinner and surprising Tantalus said we can have free time until camp fire. So Travis, Conner, Bill and I decided to chill out and watch some DVDs that we stole from camp store on a tv that we also stole.
Apparently this also attracted some of the Hermes kids too. So they came and watched. It was about 10 people here, including us 4. We decided to watch Shrek.
We were about to finish the movie but sadly the horn for campfire rang out so we had to cut the movie short.
Bill leaned over and said to us "You think we can skip?"
"You will be skinned and hanged over Mr. D wall if we do that." Travis joked.
We laughed at Bill's misfortune. Once we got to campfire we spilt, Bill going to the satyr area while we go to Hermes area.
We settled down before we began to sing. This was by far my favorite part of the day.
That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. It sadly didn't get people spirit up, well besides mine, Travis, Conner, and Bills. But I could see why spirits were down. This was the first monster attack inside camp borders. The first domino.
We all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres. The twins and I chatted silently while watching. Mostly talking about the movie and drama.
We did all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land." The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, I had never seen it get very big but Travis said he seen it get to 20 feet. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint.
Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House like the slob he is but I really couldn't blame him at the end of the day, this really was depressing.
When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!" With his crooked smile. He tried to grab a marshmallow but it kamikazed into the flames.
Tantalus turned back toward us, smiling coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."
But then Percy stood up. "Sir," he said.
"Our kitchen boy has some-thing to say?" Me and the twins snickered at that. And some of the Ares campers also snickered.
"We have an idea to save the camp."
Dead silence, but I could tell he gotten everybody's interest with that sentence. The campfire blew into a light yellow color.
"Indeed," Tantalus said blandly. "Well, if it has anything to do with chariots —"
"The Golden Fleece," he said. "We know where it is."
It was like a pen drop. But before he could be stopped he continued. He blurted out his dream about Grover and Polyphemus's island. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her than from Percy.
And at that point when he mentioned Grover, I turned to find Bill who had a face of horror that his cousin was at Polyphemus's island. And I knew that at that moment, I would do anything in my power to make sure that Grover was safe.
"The Fleece can save the camp," she concluded. "I'm certain of it."
"Nonsense," said Tantalus. "We don't need saving."
'Really bitch?' I thought while dead panning at him, the other had the same thought.
"Besides," he added quickly, "the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."
Percy also quickly added, "Yes I would"
I raised an eyebrow at that.
"30,31,75, 12," He said.
"Coordinates?" I whispered to the twins.
"Okay," Tantalus said. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."
"They're sailing coordinates," he explained . "Latitude and longitude. I, uh, learned about it in social studies."
Annabeth added on. "30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. He's right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"
"Wait just a minute," Tantalus said.
But the campers took up the chant. "We need a quest! We need a quest!"
The flames rose higher.
"It isn't necessary!" Tantalus insisted.
"WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!"
"Fine!" Tantalus shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. "You brats want me to assign a quest?"
"YES!"
"Very well," he agreed. "I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying."
My heart filled with excitement. The camp will be saved and Grover will be too.
"I will allow our champions to consult the Oracle!" Tantalus announced. "And choose 1 companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champions is obvious."
Tantalus looked at Annabeth and Percy as if he wanted to flay them alive. "The champions should be one who has earned the camp's respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races and courageous in the defense of the camp. And the one who saved the camp by the murderous birds. You shall lead this quest ... Clarisse and Atem!"
The fire flickered a thousand different colors. The Ares cabin started stomping and cheering. The Hermes cabin jumped and yipped.
Taisho secret
After the scolding that Bill gave to Percy, he was so embarrassed that he ended up not becoming the biggest fan of Atem. And many people were mad at him and they ended up thinking that Annabeth and him were actually making out.