The Sea // pjo

Chapter Four // El Encierro de los Toros de Bronce Ardiente

    I took no time to shoot up the hill, still in one shoe, mind you.

    I never found it, lucky me.

    I kicked off the one shoe I had as I pulled Undertow from my finger, flicking it and twisting my wrist as the sword formed in my hand.

    I now ignored the weird pulsing from the sword as I jumped in front of a camper whose back was turned and swung in an arc at the oncoming bull.

    Yes, bull.

    Except bulls were on fire, and the one I lopped the horn off of nearly skewered me.

    The camper, Will Solace, a son of Apollo, looked up at me in relief, "Thanks, Sal. Welcome back."

    I grinned at him, "Good to be back, Sol."

    Yes, I do call the son of the Sun god...sun, what about it?

    I hefted him into his feet and nodded at the wounded campers, "Get them outta here. I'll cover you."

    He nodded, taking off.

    The bull that had nearly bulldozed us was now running a rampage towards a familiar daughter of Ares.

    "CLARISSE!" I shouted. "LOOK OUT!"

    My voice mingled with my brother's, and it must have startled her because the other bull with both horns slammed right into her shield, and the girl went flying.

    The bull shot past the fallen daughter of Ares, while the one I pissed off was sprinting right for her, getting ready to kill her.

    Percy was closer, so he grabbed her by the straps of her armor and yanked her to safety, to which she promptly punched his hands away, screaming, "LET ME GO! PERCY, CURSE YOU!"

    I sprinted to their side, holding my hand up with my sword, watching the bulls carefully.

    The bull with both horns ran in a wide arc and was making its way toward us. I readjusted my grip, watching as it approached where the magical boundary should have been, slowed down a bit, and then broke through, racing towards us. The one-horned bull turned back to us, fire sputtering from a cut in its side, its ruby red eyes glowering at us.

    Percy barely climbed to his feet next to me, but he looked tired. He asked me, "How are you not dying?"    

I wiped my own face and muttered, "Boxing, bro..."

    "Gods, I knew I should have—"

    One-horn blew fire at us, and we both flew to the ground.

    I couldn't breathe for what felt like forever, the heat completely stealing oxygen from around me.

    I heard Percy curse and lifted my head to see him grasping at his leg in pain.

    He must have tripped.

    Panic flooded me as I stood on my bare feet, moving to his side, glancing over my shoulder at the bulls that were getting ready for another strike. He tried to stand, and I was about to berate him for standing on it, wrapping my arm around his middle, when Two-horn flew at us.

    "TYSON, HELP THEM!" Annabeth screamed from somewhere."

    I could barely hear Tyson, but he wailed, "CAN'T! GET! THROUGH!"

    "I, Annabeth Chase, give you permission to enter camp!"

    Thunder shook the hillside as I dragged Percy with me, barely moving at all as I turned my body so I would take the brunt of whatever was coming.