lacuna [connor stoll]

V. Find Percy Will Be Our Always

CHAPTER FIVE: FIND PERCY WILL BE OUR ALWAYS

Ellie woke up to Connor shaking her roughly.

"Get up, El!" His voice was tired as well, but he continued to shake her until her eyes pealed open.

"Okay, okay," She muttered. "I'm up, you can stop abusing me now."

Connor just grinned. "We've got a battle to fight, sleepyhead." He grabbed a helmet from the ground, placing it on Ellie's head. It was much too big, and she couldn't see anything.

She took it off, tossing it back to him. His reflexes were slower then he would admit, and he stumbled with it, and it clattered to the ground. Connor looked up, blushing lightly. Ellie just smiled.

"C'mon Connor," She mocked. "We've got a battle to fight."

Finally, Connor and Travis gathered the Hermes cabin. They were the last ones to get organized, but that was not surprising.

"Listen up!' Travis yelled. Other then the injured campers, the Hermes was the last one left. "We're going back to the bridge, we've got a city to defend!"

The Hermes' cabin whooped and cheered and the raced across the city. They stayed tight and close, keeping a close eye out for stray monster attacks.

"Stop!" Someone yelled. Everyone stopped in their tracks. For a moment, nothing happened, and everyone shifted uncomfortably. Then, the ground began to rumble. Ellie glanced in front of her, and she began to see an outline of an army approaching on the horizon line.

"Get ready!" She called. "In positions!"

No one doubted her, spreading out. Ellie found herself in the front lines, glaring at the monsters that couldn't even see her yet. Connor somehow managed to wriggle himself next to her, shooting her a supporting smile. To her right, was Owen. He held his sword hilt tightly, as if it was going to run away from him.

She nodded once to both of them, before her head faced forward again. The monsters were a lo closer now, closer then she was ready for.

But she had to be ready.

She had to push the overwhelming fear, the crippling anxiety that she and her friends might not make it out of this.

The first monster was only a hundred feet away. An archer shot an arrow what looked like to be a grain spirit. It dissolved mid-leap, that would have landed ontop of Ellie.

She gripped her sword hilt tightly, trying to ignore her shaking palms.

Then, all Tartarus broke lose.

The second monsters had arrived, even more quick and vicious then the first. Cyclops, grain spirits, demigods, and random scattered monsters charged, and Ellie barely had time to get in a proper defensive position before the first monster struck her.