Half-Blood Heroes II: Land Of Giants

Oh, The Potato Trauma

Usually, a weapon would come from something significant on your journey back to camp. Slowly Arin reached in his bag and pulled out a bag of what looked like chips. He opened them and just ate them, like there wasn't a deadly shadow waiting to kill us. Cynthia smacked them out of his hands. Arin stared at the chips on the ground. Out of the frickin' bushes Croix runs out. I might've forgotten she was there. "I saw something suspicious and decided to check it out. A hound, not just any hounds. One of the pups of the Hound Of Cuchulainn." Mark stared at her, open mouthed. "But, they're impossible to locate."

"Clearly they've fled west."

"Then we should inform the gods and goddesses about this."

"It must be trained."

"It could help us against the Fomorians."

"What could a hound do to giant, dangerous creatures?" It could slow them down. I silently thought in my head. Out of the trees a giant hound leaped out. Croix drew her sword and pointed it at the hound. "Distract it." We all scattered away. You'd think the hound would get confused, it didn't. Its paws threatened to squash us to Mashed Demigods served with a side of the stuff found at the bottom of a dog's paw. It swung its killer paws in all directions. At that point it looked more like a cat than anything. He leaped at me, I know it's a 'he' because I saw. Croix thrusted her sword into its paw. It yelped in pain and howled. Its call shook the ground while trees collapsed. Arin swung at its paws as it was the only place we could reach. Claudia climbed up a tree and prepared to jump. She leapt from the branch holding her pencil. It glowed before transforming into a sword. It had a steel hilt with obsidian studs. The blade itself was blacker than night, it was made from Celtic Ore. It glistened in the moonlight before plunging into the back of the hound. Still, it didn't leave a dent. It shook Claudia off. She admired her sick as frick new weapon. Lucky her, her weapon was from a pencil. Mine was from an old barnacle covered oar. Mark and Zane conjured portal after portal to get on its back. Cynthia aimed her arrows at it. Claudia ran up to it, using her powers to send it flying. It hit the ground, hopefully killing it. We let out a sigh of relief. So far it looked like a boulder rolled in and decided to jump around.

When morning came we finally felt safe. It wasn't going to last. "Wow, you guys. We lived." Living through an attack like that deserves a reward at camp. I mean- we should make an award like that. Like, 'You survived school'. Start a petition for this. We continued until we reached the state beside Wyoming. On the left side of Wyoming, home of famous potatoes. We saw a sign on the left of the road: Welcome To The State Of Idaho. Out of nowhere Arin burst into tears. "OH YE' OL' POTATO! THY HUMBLE SPUD!" He cried out falling to his knees bowing. People stared at him, we stared at him, probably the entire state stared at him. "Is-is he okay?" Croix rolled her eyes and handed the sobbing Arin a handkerchief before responding. "He has what he calls Potato Trauma. With the Irish Potato Famine." We still stared at him. Claudia blurted out, "Is he sane?"

"I'm sorry Claudia but it looks like his sanity was thrown out three days ago."

"That makes sense."

"He's far from becoming sane again."

"Give it a year, or two."

Arin finally got over his potato trauma so we went to get food. We were served delicious food and saw a couple arguing. That was kind of weird but it was fine. "Arin, stop staring."

"I live for drama."

Later that night we crashed into a motel. That's right, all sweaty, seven of us chose one room to sleep in. We were squished on beds and floors. I laid down on the hardwood floor staring at the ceiling. I decided to take a break and step out. There was no chair near the window but one near the wall. How convenient. I stared in confusion at the set-up, not only was the chair not near the window, it was blocking the closet. I shrugged and opted to sit on the ground. The wind blew past the window, I opened the window to get a better view. "Kendra, good evening."

"Stop being so formal Mark."

"How did you know it was me?"

"I know you too well."

"Oh, really. Please enlighten me."

"I know you are very into talking fancilly." He laughed and sat down beside me. "Do you-" He paused. "Like anyone?" His question caught me off guard. I looked up at him weirdly. "I'm 14, supposed to be going to an all girl's school by now. No, I don't like anyone."

"How about me?" He posed dramatically. "Or me." Arin stepped in groggily. "You both are my best friends." I hugged both of them tightly before going back to sleep.

The next morning we ate breakfast, Zane threw up because he said it sucked. "Zane, please not in front of the guests." Cynthia said exasperated and annoyed. Claudia nodded. I could see the two of them had gotten close. Claudia clearly saw Cynthia as the person she wanted to be when she grew up, it was cute. I wish I had a sister who would do that, instead of a brother like Aspen rubbing his feet on everything. Mark just laughed while Arin actually made an effort to drag Zane to a bathroom. Eventually Mark helped Arin. I'd lost my appetite, Zane lost his breakfast to the toilet and everyone else was just eating. Out of nowhere a man ran into the hotel screaming, "There's a bull that's loose!" The hotel manager looked at him. "Now that's a ton of bull-"

"Droppings!" Arin said, covering his ears. Mark stepped out before stepping back in. "There's a bull out there. Not just any bull." We all left the hotel looking around to see a woman on a chariot watching a bull ravage through the city. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"I am no 'ma'am'. I am Queen Medb Of Connacht."

"Uhh, yeah your majesty, your bull is tearing up the city."

"So? You see bulls running around Spain."

"It's a safer event with barriers. This is just a wild bull running around."

"Wild bull?" She said, taken aback. "That is my prized bull." She pointed at the bull who was running into cars. "Oh, can you please tell your prized bull to stop."

"Why? It should be free."

"Free to destroy things?"

"I'm trying to prove a point."

"What point?"

"I'm better than the king of Ulster."

"Well, give up and tell your bull to stop." She glared at me. She turned around and continued to ride her chariot. "Hey! Come back!" She didn't. "Why did I think that would work." I quietly muttered to myself. Zane, Mark and Cynthia shifted into crows while Croix summoned a horse to find the queen and bull. Me, Arin and Claudia also were looking for the bull. "C'mon." We turned a corner and the pavement was cracked like Hurricane Wild Prized Bull ran through. Cars were turned over and trash cans were now trashed all over the streets. "That woman needs to keep her bull on a leash."

"No dip Sherlock."

"Yeah whatever."