The World Has Changed : Percy Jackson

I Gamble With a Wind Spirit

Percy POV

"Yo, Boss! What were you thinking!?" Blackjack yelled, "Leaving on that quest for two years! You owe me 732 doughnuts."

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Sorry buddy. I was planning out my quest and didn't have much time to pre-order 61 boxes of doughnuts."

Blackjack pulled his face into the best annoyed expression he could. The Pegasus' ears were laid back in the wind and his muscular wings stretched out to keep us aloft. Camp's bus was below, right in our shadow, heading towards Half-Blood Hill. Apparently, last Summer when I was gone, the bus had been attacked by all sorts of monsters so as an extra precaution I was here. My job was to protect the bus by air while some other child of Hermes ran alongside the road. Rumor had it that this guy had major speed records in practically everything.

Now I know what everyone would be thinking.. 'Percy, you're the son of the sea God! What the Hades do you think you're doing fighting air monsters!" Well, the quest I was sent on required so much power that Zeus gifted me a small portion of each god or goddess' territory. It was a rare thing for Zeus to help anyone, but I was acting out of personal favor for the Drama Queen himself.

"Yo, Boss! Angry wind spirit at 2 o'clock!"

I pulled my sword out to greet the face of a girl hanging a little to my right. I would have said she were pretty if it weren't for the sharp teeth she was so menacingly baring in my direction.

"Sweetie," her voice whispered, "Your horse just ran into me."

"Yo, did that girl just call me a horse?"

"Hey, sorry. We haven't flown here for a while. Could you please let us pass?" I ask the spirit.

"Only once my friends have finished with you."

Five more air spirits melted out of their hiding places, all hissing and looking at me like a fresh cooked steak just ready for eating.

"Ahm.. Ladies. We're new around here. Could you please-"

"Quiet Perseus Jackson! We like to eat demigod in peace." Three came forward and grasped at me. My sword swung in a high arc. The wind whistled in defeat.

"Blackjack, dive!" We plummeted towards the ground so fast I wasn't sure we would ever stop. Blackjack's hooves made a touchdown and pounded into the asphalt. Argus, the driver, turned a third of his eyes in my direction. Kids in the front portion of the bus stared at me in awe.

'New campers.' I thought, 'Poor guys.'

The campers in the back weren't much better. They must have been shocked at the sight of me, considering I hadn't made contact with anyone but Chiron and Mr. D for the past two years.

The Hermes kid was sprinting at my side. He didn't look like he was even having trouble breathing.

"Hey! You must be Percy Jackson." He yelled.

I give him a thumbs up, "At your service!"

"You having problems with spirits?" He asked.

"How'd ya know?"

"The naiads and dryads aren't too happy either."

Two more wind spirits dove at my back. I sliced one in half but the other managed to latch on. Sharp claws swiped across my back. It wasn't deep or painful, but certainly did some damage to my new shirt.

"Hey! Not nice." I shout over my shoulder.

"I don't know what nice means, sweetie." She squeaked. "Now, I would love a nice bite of demigod. I haven't had demigod in ages!" Her mouth began dripping.