The Mother Of All Monsters

7 - The Warning From The Wisest

JASON CLIMBED ATOP ECHIDNA, and balanced himself on her head. Echidna was a thirty feet tall greenish black giant now, making attempts to crush the three demigods with her feet.

The son of Jupiter raised his gladius and repeatedly plunged his sword onto Echidna's head, hoping that the monster would die. But to his surprise, Echidna was uninjured and unfazed. Just as the gigantic ugliness tried to smash him, he manipulated the winds and moved away, landing near Percy, who was fighting two green monsters, both taller than him.

"Isn't she dead yet?" The son of Poseidon asked Jason just as he destroyed the monster on his right with a slash of Riptide.

Jason, parrying the monster on Percy's left, replied, "Not yet! It seems like she's made of mud!"

The other monster, which was now focused only on Jason, was killed by Percy was a slice to its head. Both the demigods were now looking like embodiments of slime, filth and muck. They had fought and destroyed dozens of monsters.

"Mud? Do you think I can control her, then? Mud has water in it, right?"

"Not literally, Percy! Not literally!"

"Pity."

Percy's mind was not completely in the battle. A part of him wanted Annabeth to wake up, wanted him to go reassure her, though he knew she didn't need any reassurance. This part of him distracted him mildly from the fight which could kill him.

". . . while I'll go for its legs. Percy, are you listening? Percy? PERCY!" Jason inquired. His shiny blond hair was brown in many places, a resultant of battling disgusting monsters. His purple and orange coloured t-shirt was brown too.

"Uh. . . what?" Percy asked.

"Oh my gods. You clearly didn't listen to what I had said, did you?"

"Oh, come on! You're talking about plans with me? How am I going to listen?"

"Should have known, Jackson. Should have known."

"Of course."

"Hey guys! Some help here, please?" The demigods heard Piper shouting. They immediately rushed towards her and in no time, the six monsters surrounding her were garbage, ashes and muck.

"Weird how these monsters die. Along with the usual ashes, unsavory substances come along." Piper commented. "I find it - look out!" she immediately dived towards her left, Percy and Jason following her.

The place where they had been standing looked like it had been poisoned. Black, red and green marks, looking like veins, protruded from the asphalt. Soon, that part of the road turned to ashes, forming a medium-sized circular hole.

Piper, in astonishment, said, "Remind me to-"

"Never touch her again?" Percy guessed, cutting off whatever Piper had wanted to say.

"Exactly."

Another blast came from Echidna now, another poisonous attack. Percy and Jason dived to their left again while Piper moved to her right. She was separated from her comrades now.

"Why is it taking her a lot of time to attack? Why isn't she attacking us like before?" Jason, out of doubt, questioned.

"Maybe her mind isn't completely onto us! Maybe she's focusing on something else!" Percy shouted. He was moving towards Echidna's back. Now, between him and Jason, stood the gigantic creature.