Anthízo, Percy Jackson

XXVIII. start of a new beginning

THE FOUR DEMIGODS WERE, without a doubt, the strangest reinforcements in roman military history. hazel rode arion, who had recovered enough to carry one person at normal horse speed.

frank transformed into a bald eagle, and soared above them. tyson ran down the hill, waving his club and yelling, "bad pony men! BOO!" while ella fluttered around him, reciting facts from the old farmer's almanac.

as for percy and karina, they rode mrs. o'leary into battle with a chariot full of imperial gold equipment clanking and clinking behind, the golden eagle standard of the twelfth legion raised high above them.

they skirted the perimeter of the camp and took the northernmost bridge over the little tiber, charging onto the field of mars at the western edge of the battle. a horde of cyclops was hammering away at the campers of the fifth cohort, who were trying to keep their shields locked just to stay alive.

seeing them in trouble, karina felt a surge of protective rage. these were the kids of her cohort. she represented them. they were her family.

percy shouted, "fifth cohort!" and they slammed into the nearest cyclops. the last things the poor monster saw were mrs. o'leary's teeth.

after the cyclops disintegrated— and stayed disintegrated, thanks to death— percy and karina leapt off the hellhound and slashed wildly through the other monsters.

karina spotted out of the corner of her eye, her sister, lydia, and brother daniel, both being cornered by a monster she couldn't even try to describe, and she immediately sprinted over to them, raising vines from the ground, and wrapping them around the monster until it suffocated, leaving nothing but a pile of gold dust.

lydia was the first to register karina's presence, and in a blur of pink hair, she rushed over to her quickly, a look of surprise casted onto her features, engulfing the girl into a hug. "oh my gods, nina! you're back! and . . . alive?"

she quickly reciprocated the hug, chuckling softly. "for the most part, yes."

she paused, and she saw daniel rush over to her in a flash of black, his clothing creating a statement piece in the color, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, lifting her off the ground. she laughed as she felt him squeeze her tightly, as he always did, and swung her around slightly, her legs moving back and forth.

"how did you not manage to get yourself killed, nina? i've seen you almost die from choking on your toothbrush." he said sarcastically, looking at her with disbelief as he set her back onto the ground.

she gasped at him. "how do you know that?"

he grinned, and turned to slash away an oncoming monster. "that doesn't matter, the point is, i have no idea how the fuck you survived that quest."

she narrowed her eyes at him. "it sounds like you're not happy that i'm back, danny."

lydia barked out a laugh, sending a wave of poison ivy through a crowed of baby cyclops as she spoke. "eh, it was kind of quieter when you left. it was quiet peaceful, actually."

karina smacked lydia's arm. "you little bitch. you know you missed me."

she rolled her eyes. "fine, whatever."

"hey, wait— " karina said, looking around in confusion. "where's tessa?"

daniel sighed softly, his expression turning sad. "she had to go back home. her mother was recently diagnosed with cancer. they're not sure yet what type, but she had to leave as soon as she found out. she said she'd call you as soon as you got back to camp."