A New Generation

The Fight

Waking up the next morning was everything but a challenge. It helped that I was super excited for the quest. Putting my hair up into a messy bun and slipping into a fall out boy tee and black skinny jeans, I headed to the dining pavilion. When all the campers were there, Chiron made an announcement to them about our quest. People cheered and made larger than usual sacrifices to the gods. Jamie came up to me while I was eating and wished me good luck. I ate the rest of my breakfast with a smile, and when I was done, Chiron pulled Simon, Kai, and I away from the others and told us to get our things, we were leaving as soon as possible. Practically sprinting to my cabin, I scooped up my things and headed toward the door. Stopping, I felt like I had forgotten something. My father's necklace. It was a gold, majestic owl on a simple black cord. I grabbed it from its hook on the wall and was on my way once more. Chiron introduced us to Argus, who took us into the city and dropped us off in Central Park. "What do we do now?" I asked the others. "I think our work is cut out for us...and its making its way over here right now." Simon exclaimed, pointing behind Kai. There, a beast with a catlike front half and a...scorpion back??? "A manticore," Kai muttered under her breath, drawing her dagger. "A what?" I said. "A manticore," she repeated louder. "They're vicious, so you better grab your whip." I fumbled with my bag, then the pouch holding my weapon. I finally yanked it free from my tote as the monster spotted us. Simon and Kai were suddenly at my sides, bearing theirs too. We stood in a ready line, prepared to attack at the slightest movement to harm us. The manticore seemed to glare at us, which we responded to by glaring back and yielding our weapons. Its face twitched with hostility, and its shoulders were pressed together as if it were ready to pounce. Suddenly, it began to run toward us at an alarming speed. My heart was beating out of my chest and the deafening sound of blood through my veins was in my ears, making it so that I could hardly hear the roars of the terrifying creature before us. It advanced and Simon charged, swinging his celestial bronze broadsword before him. It lunged at him, claws ripping his shirt and leaving shallow scratches on his chest. He expertly arced the blade upon the manticore, but it escaped with only a cut on its side. Next, Kai came at the beast from behind, stabbing it just below the ribs, not enough to kill it, but to hear its piercing howl. It pounced upon her, knocking her down, and scratched her face. Simon was still dazed, so I jumped in and used the sharp edge of my whip to wrap around the thing's neck, and cutting off its head. It fell to the ground, and within seconds, disintegrated into dust, sent back to Tartarus. Simon cheered, but I heard it distantly, because the only thing I could focus on was Kai, bloody-faced, in a heap on the ground, unmoving.