𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | 𝐩. 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

Moon girl and sun boy

No one moved. "No," Dr. Thorn finally muttered as he stumbled back a few feet. "It cannot be"

An arrow suddenly shot past Evangeline, like a streak of moonlight as it impaled the manticore's shoulder. The creature staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried, unleashing his spikes in an assault of dozens in the direction the arrows doubled the size of the spikes shot back, and sliced multiple thorns in half.

Evangeline got to her feet, pulling the raven-haired boy up with her as she recognized the work of the hunters.

The monster quickly pulled the arrow from his shoulder as a howl of pain escaped, allowing Percy to lunge and attempt to swipe him with Riptide. But Thorn wasn't that injured, using his tail he slammed against Percy's shield and sent the boy flying to the side somewhere near Thalia.

Finally, the hunters made their way out of the woods and let their appearances be known. The youngest seemed to be ten and the oldest had to be somewhere around fourteen. The archers advanced on the manticore, bows raised.

"The hunters!' Annabeth cried.

"Wonderful," Thalia grumbled. Evangeline didn't mind the hunters, she respected their beliefs and life choices, so she and the hunters were on good terms. She always was quite fond of them.

If she was being honest Evangeline had always wanted to become a hunter.

An older girl stepped forward, her bow raised and held up towards Thorn. She stood tall, with coppery colored skin as silver circles decorated the top of her long dark hair. "Permission to kill," the old accent flowed off her tongue easily and that only meant one person: Zoë Nightshade. "My lady?"

"This is not fair!" Thorn wailed like a child. "Direct interference, it is against the Ancient Laws!"

"Not so," another hunter stepped forward, except this time the brunette recognized her to be the goddess Artemis. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere, and you foul creature are a wild beast." The goddess turned her attention to the girl beside her. "Zoë, permission granted."

The creature growled, his eyes quickly glancing towards Thalia and Percy who lay in the snow struggling to get up. "If I cannot have them alive," he threatened. "I shall have them dead!" He lunged at them.

Evangeline heard Annabeth yell, she saw the blonde charge toward the monster with her weapon drawn.

"Get back, half-blood!" Zoë commanded, lowering her bow for a moment. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But she didn't listen, instead, Annabeth had leaped onto the creature's back. Her knife dug into his skin. The manticore hailed and began turning in circles while the blonde girl held on.

"She has given us an opportunity," Zoë spoke, raising her bow once more. "Fire!"

But Annabeth didn't let go, no matter what.

"Annabeth," Thalia called, attempting to get to her feet but only fell back down right away. "Move, get out of there!"

"Now!"

"No!"

The daughter of Hades watched as the arrows flew in the direction of the demigod. The first arrow landed in the creature's neck, then his chest.

Thorn began staggering backward as he attempted to regain his balance. "This is not the end, huntress!" He wailed. "You shall pay!"

Evangeline met Annabeth's gaze as the creature's heel reached the cliff and the screams of her friends echoed through the air, the snow failing their attempts to get up.