A Demigod Tale

Chapter 9: A Bumpy Beginning

At the very edge of camp, long after the trio had passed through the boundary and left behind Thalia's tree, they found a car waiting for them. A note was attached to the windshield.

"Dear questing party," Jade read, "Normally we would have someone drive you to the airport. However, since Jordan has his license, he will be the one driving you. Safe Travels, Percy."

Jordan grinned. "Alright, kids! Get in the back!" he said. Then he dumped his backpack in the passenger seat and Jake and Jade's  backpacks in the back right seat. "Hm. Looks like you'll have to sit next to each other," he said with a mischievous smile. Both Jake and Jade blushed.

"Um, do you want the window seat?" Jake asked Jade, avoiding looking at her.

"Um, sure. Thanks," Jade replied. She waited as Jake climbed in, having to sit in the very middle seat. She got in next, and discovered she and Jake were so close there shoulders were touching. In the driver's seat Jordan laughed quietly and whispered, "I ship it."

The drive went well enough until they stopped for gas. As Jordan was listening to Jade explain how a gas pump works, Jake noticed a strange lady watching them. He walked over to Jade and Jordan. "Guys, were being watched," he whispered. He twitched his head in the direction the woman was.

The woman seemed to notice this and began walking closer to them. As she came nearer she transformed. Her skin became scaly and greenish. Her legs became two twin snake tails as thick as if you combined all three Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit in to one. Jordan and Jake retrieved their bows from their backpacks and Jade brought out her axe.

Jake fired his arrows first. He hit the woman in the shoulder, making her disintegrate. Four more snake women came out of the gas station shop, hissing some not very nice words at the trio in Greek.

One of the women took out a black disc. She tossed it on the ground. The disc exploded, and about a dozen skeletons joined the party. Half of the skeletons had bows and began firing. Jake retaliated, killing all but one. The last undead archer fired. His arrow sailed in the air. Jordan saw that the arrow was aimed at Jake. He shoved Jake out of the way. The arrow hit Jordan in the hip. Another arrow flew though the air and hit him in the shoulder. He screamed.

Jake and Jade stared at Jordan for a moment. They turned to the monsters, furious. Jade ran at the skeletons and began slashing at them with her axe. The skeletons without long-range weapons slashed back, but she didn't pay attention. She continued wiping them out.

As Jade was facing the skeletons, Jake was facing off with the snake women. He had worn a some armor underneath a sweatshirt, so his torso was protected, but his arms were completely unprotected. Jade finished off the last skeleton and began fighting with Jake.

Jordan tired to stand up, but the arrow in his hip stopped him. He tried to fire his bow, but the arrow in his shoulder made it impossible. He looked at his wounds. The areas around them were stained red. He felt his head start to go fuzzy from blood loss. One of the snake women approached him, ready to finished him off. He remembered he was wearing his belt with the knife. He took out his weapon. The snake woman's eyes widened. She recognized the blade.

Jordan tried to slash at her legs, but his eyesight wasn't working. It looked like the whole world was tainted black. He heard the snake woman laugh. I'm not going down without a fight, he thought. He hoisted himself to his feet using the gas pump near him. His head spun. He swung blindly at where he heard the laughter. The laughter stopped, and he instead heard the snake woman screech as she was sent back to the Underworld. However, he could have sworn he could still hear laughter.

He collapsed, unconscious, just as Jade and Jake finished off the last monster. They ran over to him. Jake removed the arrows and bandaged the wounds. Jade poured some nectar into Jordan's mouth. They waited for Jordan to respond, to show them that he was alive. Finally they heard him mumble something.

Jake and Jade shouted happily. They leaned in closer, trying to hear what Jordan was saying. When he mumbled again they were able to make out what he was saying.

"Who's laughing?"