𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄. percy jackson

𝟎𝟒. the first protector

magnolia dove 𝔁 percy jackson
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST PROTECTOR

MAGNOLIA HAD just gotten comfortable in her seat again when Annabeth piped up from the walkway. "Guys, you need to open that window! Now!" Annabeth instructed in a panic, turning back to see a fury emerging as she stood in the walkway. 

"Oh no." Grover mumbled, him and Percy getting up and hitting the back window, making it fall out and smash on the ground. 

While the announcement was made and passengers tried to make it out of the bus, everyone making it out apart from Magnolia, to which a fury flew in, separating her from the others. 

"Magnolia!" Percy yelled out, trying to go and save her but Annabeth and Grover pulled him back. 

"She's got this. It's okay." Annabeth attempted to calm him as Percy watched Magnolia throw a dagger at the Fury, causing it to disintegrate before she jumped out of the bus, landing on the ground and running off into the woods with the others. 

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Magnolia was silent as the group walked through the woods. "Somewhere up ahead, this turns into a satyr path." Grover navigated. 

"What's a satyr path?" Percy asked. "And what's with Magnolia's little headphones?" 

"They're called earplugs, Percy, get with the program." she grumbled.

"When Magnolia gets overstimulated from all the noise, she wears her earplugs so it drowns it out and she can focus on conversations without all the background noise." Annabeth explained.

"And a satyr path is a road through the wilderness. Satyrs explorers use them, makes it harder to track us." Grover explained. 

"That's great, but if we stay in the wilderness, how are we gonna find a phone?" Percy asked.  

"What do we need a phone for?" Annabeth asked, glancing back before continuing walking ahead, Magnolia beside her.

"So we can call camp? To get help?" Percy informed as if it was obvious and Magnolia readjusted her earplugs, having a feeling that another argument was about to burst out and wanting to be prepared so she didn't get more of a headache. 

"We don't need help. We're fine." Annabeth replied.  

"We're fine?" Percy asked. "We haven't even gotten to Trenton, and we're wandering through a forest. I didn't even know they had forests in New Jersey, but we've found one. I would say we're the opposite of fine." Percy ranted, Magnolia rolling her eyes in response, the occasional black rose growing from the ground.  

"We were sent on a quest by the Oracle, by the gods?" Annabeth informed. "What'd you think, it would be easy? It's supposed to be hard. That's why only certain people are chosen. If we call camp, we're basically saying that it was a mistake to choose us." Annabeth replied. 

"I'm completely comfortable with that. Everyone makes mistakes." Percy reasoned, Magnolia practically sensing the annoyance radiating off Annabeth at him. 

"Why are you so afraid of who you are?" she asked, stopping dead in her tracks and facing him. Magnolia just pulling out a compact mirror and reapplying her tinted lip balm and checking for flyaway hair. She was a Aphrodite kid after all. 

"What?" Percy asked Annabeth. 

"You know, what's interesting about this particular satyr path is it's actually the one my Uncle Ferdinand took when he set out on his own quest." Grover interrupted, trying and failing to diffuse the tension.