Indigo Eyes

Chapter 39

Cressida didn't have the words to describe what an idiot Percy Jackson was sometimes. Nor how she could go from being so happy with him to being equally as worried and annoyed at him.

Because rather than waiting for backup, Percy had gone after the Di Angelos and Dr Thorn, only to end up injured by his venom and a prisoner along with Bianca and Nico. Dr Thorn was also working for Luke which was why he wanted the demigods to convince them to be a part of his army.

But before Percy could pull them off a cliff and into the sea, something slammed into him.

Wearing her cap of invisibility, Annabeth ploughed into the di Angelo's and Percy, knocking them to the ground and taking Dr Thorn by surprise, his first volley of missiles flying harmlessly over their heads. That gave Thalia, Grover and Cressida a chance to advance on Thorn from the back, Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa moulded into bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone it's so horrible most people will panic and run at the sight of it. It was modelled after the one her father used.

Even Dr Thorn winced and growled when he saw it. Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"

Cressida looked simply unimpressed as she stood next to the Grace girl. "And I'm dramatic," she said sarcastically before she slammed the blunt end of her thyrsus to the ground, vines rising up from the floor as they tried to ensnare Dr Thorn who began to shift.

His hand changed into an orange paw with enormous claws that tore at the plants Cressida summoned and that sparked against Thalia's shield.

Thorn then launched another volley of missiles, but they weren't really missiles. They were bristled spikes that were shot from his leathery, scorpion-like tail. Thalia's shield protected her, but the force of the impact knocked her down as Cressida charged with her thyrsus now in spear form.

Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play – a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr Thorn's legs, entangling him as Cressida slashed with her spear and Thorn roared.

He grew larger until he was in his true form – his face still human, but his body was that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd ploughed into them.

"Who are you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelo's flat into the snow as Percy remembered that he had his own shield and hit his wristwatch. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal.

Grover was then sent flying and crashing into the ground next to Percy.

"Yield!" the monster roared at the two girls left standing.

"Never!" Thalia yelled.

"Like hell," Cressida spat.

The two girls tapped their spears together before they charged. Cressida and Thalia had never really gotten along too well. Cressida hated taking orders and all Thalia seemed to do was give them. She understood that Thalia knew more about fighting monsters, but Cressida wasn't as unskilled as Thalia presumed she was. She had successfully completed two quests after all. And it did take a while but eventually, they came to an understanding, a sort of truce, especially when it came to battle.