𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀 ✷ percy jackson

liii. humanoids are creeps!

HELIOPHILIA
humanoids are creeps!

Geryon had a trolley. Those kiddie trains while taking you around, yes, those. It was painted black and white in a sort of cowhide pattern. Perhaps this was the way he killed visitors, embarrassing them in this ridiculous ride.

Nico sat in the very back, maybe it was to watch them with the way he cautiously kept a dangerous eye on them all. Eurytion crawled beside him and Orthus jumped in the front with Geryon.

The rest of them had to take the middle which looked quite squished in between. Percy looked at Aether with a, you have to be kidding? Aether shook his head and got into one of the carts, Percy following behind him. “Scoot over idiots.” Regulus looked at them with annoyance as Percy unwillingly moved over.

“We have a huge operation!” Geryon boasted as the mobile lurched forward; Aether caught himself as his finger twitched. He hated this. “Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too.”

They came over a hill and Annabeth gasped. “Hippalektryons? I thought they were extinct!”

At the bottom of the hill were some of the weirdest animals Aether had ever seen but he’d seen even weirder monsters.

“Rooster ponies,” Tyson had said in amazement. “Do they lay eggs?”

“Once a year!” Geryon informed with a grin, looking in the rearview mirror. “Very much in demand for omelettes!”

“Sorry, but isn't that dangerous?” Regulus asked with uncertainty. “Like, it would be an endangered species, wouldn't it?”

Geryon waved his hand disdainfully. “Gold is gold, darling. And you haven't tasted the omelettes.”

“That's not right,” Grover muttered, though Geryon continued the tour.

Percy glanced over at Aether; the boy looked surprisingly calm, his shoulders were relaxed as well as his hands — every part of his body was. That seemed like a bad reaction, Percy didn't pressure or ask. He didn't want to disturb the boy no matter how much he wanted to. Not with Regulus right there.

“Now, over here,” he said, “we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. They're bred for war, naturally.”

“What war?” Percy asked with a tinge of curiosity.

Geryon grinned slyly. “Oh, whichever one comes along. And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows.”

Hundreds of red colored cattles were scattered along the side of the hill.

“So many,” Grover said.

“Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see them,” Geryon explained with a shrug, “so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there's such a demand.”

Aether widened his eyes, eyebrows raised, and he crossed his arms and with a firm look, said, “and for what, exactly?”

Geryon raised a brow. “Meat, of course! Armies have to eat.”

Aether smiled sardonically, scoffing — his jaw clenched and Percy instinctively extended his hand, delicately patting Aether's knee. “You’re killing my father's sacred cows for some puny armies — you have got to be a joke?” Aether gave a firm look, though his body was oddly calm.

“It's also against the ancient laws!” Grover added.

“Oh, don't get so worked up, sunny, satyr. They're just animals.”