The Betrayed Hero

Chapter 24

It was a quiet morning; not even the sun was visible as darkness covered the ground in a calm embrace. The only sound was the soft rustle of leaves in the chilly breeze.

Everyone was jolted awake when they heard a conch blowing in the woods. The campers and the elite team dashed out into the woods in their sleepwear and battle gear, ready to fight.

As soon as the elite team reached the scene, the fight between the three Chimeras and campers had already begun.

Percy hated these Chimera's with passion; they were in his top 20 most hated monsters of all time.

The elite team quickly sprang into action, strategically dividing themselves to take on each Chimera. They worked quickly and smoothly without any need for words in between themselves. The campers, although initially startled, quickly resumed the fight.

Zale had both his luna and riptide out , slashing at the Chimera with precision and skill, He was dashing and jumping from one side to the other , landing precise swipes on the Chimera's while dodging their fiery attacks with expert skill.

The attacks from the elite team were well coordinated; they did not stop the movement, they kept attacking one person behind the other and did not have a break; they worked like a smooth engine going in repeated motion , each member seamlessly transitioning from offence to defence.

While the commander, the second in command, Fotià and Drakon, each took over at one monster at a time, the other three members ran towards the trees with their bow and arrow and sat at the top branch for better aim and accuracy in their attacks. The strategy proved effective, as they were able to weaken the Chimera's from a distance.

Even the campers were fighting relentlessly against the fire breathing lion-goat. Pollux and Malcom were moving from one chimaera to the other, slashing and dodging with skilled sharpness. The coordinated efforts of the team allowed them to slowly gain the upper hand in the battle, strategically taking down each Chimera one by one. As the sun began to set up high in the sky, their perseverance and skill were finally paying off as they started to see the tide turning in their favour. The Stoll brothers were going tag team on the monsters with their own weapons, and Clarisse was throwing her spear at the Chimeras head.

Soon, the campers and the elite team managed to weaken the Chimeras enough to finish them off, and as one of the Apollo daughters managed to shoot the chimaera in the heart with the Greek fire, it exploded in dust.

The second Chimera exploded, following its brother, while receiving the last blow from Annabeth and Nico, who had managed to wound the Chimera from its chest to its stomach.

When the third brother kept giving a fight, the elite team managed to corner the Chimera near the tree, and at Zale's signal, Vèlos jumped on its neck and caught the sword Ìoras threw at him while Zale slid between its stomach and they both stabbed the monster together repeatedly. Finally, the third Chimera succumbed to the coordinated attack.

The elite team and the campers stood over the falling Chimaera dust, exhausted but victorious, their task accomplished. They tried to gather their strength and follow Chiron to the dining pavilion for dinner as they gasped for air and collapsed, exhausted and hungry.

Offering their share of the supper to the hearth, they sat down weary for dinner and began to gobble down the food. As they enjoyed their well-earned dinner and the solidarity created by the conflict, there was a hint of victory in the air. Even though they were exhausted, they couldn't resist grinning at one another.

Just as the campers finished their dinner, Jake from Hephaestus came running from the shore shouting about the arrival of the Romans.