𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗔 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗗 • 𝘗𝘑𝘖

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡

"𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙀𝙏!" the pig squealed, and raked the five skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.

Then the pig turned on the demigods.

Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, "Don't kill it!"

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

"Please kill it!" Jackie begged.

"That's the Erymanthian Boar," Zoë said, trying to stay calm. "I don't think we can kill it."

"It's a gift," Grover said. "A blessing from the Wild!"

The boar said "REEEEEET!" and swung its tusk. Zoë and Bianca dived out of the way. Percy had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain on the Boar Tusk Express.

"Yeah, I feel blessed!" Percy said. "Scatter!"

Jackie wasn't sure how Marielle was supposed to scatter when she was actively bleeding out, but her question was answered when he sprinted back over to them, and grabbed underneath's Marielle's armpits, like she was a little kid he intended on picking up.

"Do not—" she warned, but he hoisted her to her feet anyway.

Once she was up, she swayed a little bit, but it made it easier for Jackie to see that the bleeding had slowed. The wound was nowhere near closed, and Marielle was still in danger of bleeding out, but it seemed safe enough to move her.

"Can you walk?" Percy asked, then quickly rethought his question. "Can you run?"

"I just got shot," Marielle snapped. "I need more ambrosia. And maybe some painkillers."

Jackie scrambled to open the lid to the canteen of nectar. Her hands were shaking so bad, and they were covered in blood. She couldn't get a good enough grip on the cap.

With similarly bloodied hands, Marielle reached out and gently pulled the canteen from her hand. "Hey, Jack," she said, "I'm okay. Not gonna die. You–both of you–" she added, accompanied by a very dramatic eye-roll– "got to me in time."

"You got shot," Jackie hissed. She had to look away, Marielle's eyes were too knowing. Her gaze was scary, sometimes, when Jackie wanted to keep some things hidden.

"Hand me that bandage," Marielle asked, and Percy did. Marielle soaked it in a little nectar, then stuck it onto her side. "Look. All better."

"Where's the bullet." Jackie's eyes scanned the concrete beneath them. She couldn't find it, and she was struck with the horrible thought that it hadn't gone all the way through. Wasn't that worse? She couldn't remember.

But Marielle just held up a little piece of metal. It was flatter than Jackie had thought, but it had probably hit the concrete with enough force to lose its shape. "I'm gonna need another bandage and then we can go," Marielle announced. "Where's the boar?"