Annabeth Chase and the Sea of Monsters

Chapter 7 - The Attack of the Bronze Bulls

What was it with Percy and bulls? First time he arrived at camp, he had to fight the Minotaur. Now, his second year at camp there, two gigantic bronze bulls was running rampage along the top of the Half-Blood Hill.

These weren't normal bulls either. Of course not, with us being demigods and all. I recognized them as Colchis bulls, created by Hephaestus himself. They were as big as elephants and made out of bronze, but they moved with speed and some agility. Even worse, they breathed fire.

"Oh, man," I said, looking at the battle.

The Grey Sisters obviously wanted nothing to do with it. As soon as we were out of the cab, they peeled off, not even waiting for their extra three-drachma payment. I could hear them shrieking and beating each other even as they sped away.

I didn't have time to think about them though as I turned my attention to the battle on the hill. The bulls were rampaging all over the hill, even on the side of Camp Balf-Blood, where they shouldn't have been able to go. The camps magical borders prevented them from doing so, but somehow, they were.

There were about ten campers all dressed in armour, most running in panic as the bulls charged them. One of the campers even had his horsehair plume on his helmet on fire, screaming as he batted at his fiery Mohawk. The grass was burned all around them, seared by the bulls as they ran amok.

"Border patrol, to me!" one of the campers yelled.

"It's Clarisse," I said, recognizing that voice anywhere. "Come on, we have to help her."

Wow, that's one thing I never thought I'd say.

Percy uncapped Riptide, looking like a murderous hippie in his ripped and smoking tie-dyed shirt. "Tyson, stay here. I don't want you taking any more chances."

"No!" I said. "We need him."

Didn't he see that he was a Cyclops? He'd been friends with him all school year, but did he really not know?

Percy looked at me weirdly. "He's mortal. He got lucky with the dodgeball but he can't -"

"Percy, do you know what those things are? The Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself. We can't fight them without Medea's Sunscreen SPF 50,000. We'll get burnt to a crisp."

"Medea's what?"

"I had a jar of tropical coconut scent sitting on my nightstand at home. Why didn't I bring it?" I cursed as a rummaged through my backpack, finding nothing helpful.

Percy looked confused out of his mind, but he seemed to ignore what I was rambling on about. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not going to let Tyson get fried."

Didn't he understand that Tyson couldn't get fried? It was actually impossible.

"Percy -" I began but he cut me off.

"Tyson, stay back. I'm going in."

He ran off before Tyson or I could stop him. I turned to see the Cyclops looking miserable and worried, watching as Percy charged to help Clarisse. I didn't like it, but I knew Tyson could help.

"Get to the crest," I told him. "If Percy needs you, then help him."

I didn't wait to see if he'd listen to me. I turned and ran up the hill, aiming for the four campers that were running around with their helmets on fire. The other six had managed to get into formation, holding up their shields in a wall with their spears jutting over the top. Percy was running to them as one of the bulls raced past him.

The other bull was running amok among the scattered campers, so I charged it, getting up behind it and slashing my knife along its back leg before it could notice me. The knife didn't do much damage, being only a knife, but it caught the bulls attention. It whirled at me, fire puffing out of its mouth.