Back to the Way I Was

Chapter 12

Just when Percy was about to fall asleep, there was a loud explosion coming from outside. Percy rushed out and looked around, to see some cabins on fire. But it looked more like they were targeted. More importantly, the cabins that had exploded all belonged to his oldest friends. The Ares cabin was in flames, so was the Apollo's, Hermes's, Demeter's and Hephaestus's cabin all were in flames. Dread filled his heart when he heard the pained screams the demigods gave out. Percy thrusts his hand out to the sea, making a huge but thin wave slamming over the cabins.

There were screams of panic and cries of sadness as the smoke went up in the night sky, while Percy had just lost his ties to his past life. All of his friends from before were dead . . . All of them . . .

Line Break

5 Years Later . . .

Lucia knelt down and put her finger lightly on the ground. She took several deep breaths before closing her eyes.

Heavy footsteps . . . Foul stench . . . Low rumble . . . Sniffing . . .

"A minotaur is up ahead," Lucia said to Phoebe who was next to her.

"You sure?" Phoebe asked. "I don't see anything."

"Don't worry," Lucia said with a smile. "I know when I'm sure or not."

Phoebe had learned to trust Lucia's intuition when it comes to tracking monsters. Phoebe nodded and notched an arrow from her bow. Lucia drew her rapier from her sheathe. After a few seconds, a Minotaur walked into view. It sniffed the air for any food, and it was getting closer. The Minotaur wore a bronze breastplate and held a double bladed axe. Lucia looked at Phoebe and nodded. While Lucia sprinted at the Minotaur, Phoebe draws the monster's attention from her by firing an arrow from a different direction. When the arrow flew, it lodged onto its shoulder. The Minotaur roared and slashed at the empty air from where the arrow came from. Lucia moved quickly and went towards the Minotaur. She conjured two water illusions that looked like her and attacked the Minotaur. She slashed at the lower calf of the monster and the illusions distracted it from the front. The Minotaur roared as he cleaved one illusion in half and tried to grab for the other one. Phoebe fired another arrow straight at the Minotaur's eye, and it roared in pain. Lucia took advantage of it and sliced the shaft of its axe with her rapier.

One thing Lucia learned is that if you slashed swiftly and quickly with a thin and sharp weapon, you can cut through anything. She jumped up and stabbed the monster's other eye. The Minotaur tried to claw at Lucia, but she teleports slightly away. She called it shifting.

On her way down, Lucia slashed the back of the monster twice, and Phoebe ended its life with a quick stab through the gut with her hunting knife. With that, the Minotaur was disintegrated.

"Nice work," Lucia said. Phoebe grinned and gave her a fist bump.

"Let's head back and report to Lady Artemis," Phoebe said.

They travelled back to where the Hunt had set up camp and went towards Artemis's tent. Phoebe knocked slightly on the door. "Who is it?" Artemis asked from behind the door.

"It's us, Lady Artemis." Lucia said. The door opened for them and they stepped into her tent.

"I take it the mission was successful?" Artemis asked. Phoebe nodded. "Great work, girls. Phoebe, if you don't mind, I would like to speak to Lucia in private."

"As you wish, Lady Artemis," Phoebe bowed slightly and nodded slightly at Lucia before exiting the tent.

"Sit with me, Lucia." Artemis offered. Lucia smiled and sat next to Artemis. "How are you enjoying your time with the Hunt?"