Moonlit Walk

Chapter 4: Hellhound

*Percy's POV*

This is quite strange. Coach didn't seem as surprised as he should've when he saw the body. In fact nobody did. Some even rolled their eyes like, here we go again. I wonder how many times someone has had to have found a dead body in this town to where it is normal now.

I look at the body and I immediately know that a monster did this because no human could make those scratch marks. But monsters usually stay away from mortals, unless this girl is not mortal. I go up to her and touch her arm, she is still warm.

I scan the area in case the monster is still out there. I can hear Stiles come up next to me, "What are you looking for?"

I don't turn away from the forest as I answer him but I put my hand in my pocket and hold Riptide, just in case. "She's still warm, so that means the murder happened recently. The killer could still be out there."

I hear Scott come up beside Stiles and I hear him whisper, "Something doesn't smell right." I hear Stiles start chuckling until Scott says, "No I mean it literally. Something in there doesn't smell right. It doesn't fit in with the rest of the forest."

I only have time to think Uh Oh before we hear a roar and a Hellhound comes out of the forest running straight at me.

Someone screams and I hear everyone running away but I don't take my eyes off the monster. I wonder what the mortals saw; a monster truck? Maybe an off course garbage truck? I bring out Riptide in pen form.

"Scott, now would be a good time to... you know!" Stiles screams. So Stiles must be a mortal who can see through the Mist. I hear a roar that didn't come from the hellhound and I turn my head for a second to see Scott with claws and large teeth, he must be in werewolf form.

Scott runs at the monster but I know he won't be able to kill it unless his teeth are made of Celestial Bronze or Imperial Gold. I step forward, getting ready to help when I feel a hand on my chest pushing me back.

"Whoa there, Percy. I don't know what you think you're doing but in case you haven't noticed there is a gigantic monster with a mouth the size of a truck that could eat you in one bite and your only weapon is a pen." Stiles says.

"I have to help Scott."

"Don't worry he knows what he is doing." At that moment Scott is thrown back and lands next to us. He has a bloody nose and it looks like the hellhound cut his side, but it seems to be healing.

The hellhound circles around us waiting for the right moment to attack and probably smelling the enemy to see what it's up against. It seems weary as if it doesn't want to attack.

"Why isn't it attacking?" Scott asks. "And why can't I kill it? I must have scratched it a hundred times but I just can't kill it."

"That's because you can't kill it. But I can." I say and I start to uncap my pen.

"What are you-" Stiles starts to say but then Riptide turns into a sword and he does a double take.

The hellhound roars at the sight of Celestial Bronze and I run away from Scott and Stiles and catch the attention of the monster. I head towards the edge of the woods and stop. I turn just in time to see a hellhound paw try to claw at me. I duck and jump onto its back. Once I get there I drive Riptide into its fur. I feel a stab of guilt as I think of Mrs. O' Leary but then I remember that this monster might've killed an innocent girl.

The monster melts into the shadows and I land on the ground. I see Scott and Stiles running towards me with suspicious and weary looks on their faces.

"What are you?" Scott asks. We hear sirens and we know that the cops have arrived.

"I'll explain later. And please don't mention this to the cops."

"Why should we trust you?" Stiles asks.

I give him a small glare and he backs away, "Because I just saved your life."

*Frank's POV*

I head over to Annabeth with worry. She seems more detached than usual, but I guess I would be too if Hazel went off on a quest without me. It's only been two days since Percy left but Annabeth can only call Percy on a phone because the gods think it might blow his cover if someone catches him Iris messaging. And phones attract monsters so she has only talked to him once in two days. That's the longest they've gone without being together since we got back from Greece.

Annabeth is on Temple Hill in Bacchus's temple looking out at the city. I can tell she is longing to go there but she refuses to go without Percy.

"Hey Frank." She says to me.

"How are you?" I ask this every time I see her but I never get an honest answer.

"I'm fine." She says it with less anger than usual, like she has stopped trying to convince herself of those words.

"I know you're worried about Percy, but I'm sure he's fine. Percy is the most capable demigod I know. He can take care of himself." I say as I walk up beside her.

She sighs, "I know that. I just worry. I don't even know when he'll be back. it could be months from now." She looks down.

"He'll come back. He always does."

She cracks a smile at that. "Thank you, Frank. What do you say we go have some lunch? I didn't eat breakfast this morning and I'm starving." With that we head down the hill and we talk about plans to rebuild the part of camp that hasn't been fixed yet.