The Blood of Olympus

Chapter 28: Leo

Me: *Runs away from a pack of angry readers*

Readers: HOW DARE YOU WAIT FOUR FREAKING MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: ...

Readers: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me:...Sorry?

Readers: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Look...I posted a new chapter! Does that make up for it?

Readers: >:(   >:(   >:(

Me: *Runs*

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Chapter 28: Leo

 At first Leo thought the sky was falling. Yeah, kind of silly, but in his defense, when the black, feathery monstrosity slammed into his head, knocking him clean off his feet, he wasn't thinking too straight. Stars flew around in his vision, just like in the old-timey cartoons, and Leo had to take a second to catch his breath.

"Oh man," he moaned, "oh, man. What in the name of Hephaestus's furry - "

"Please don't complete tha sentence." Percy interrupted, squatting in front of Leo, "are you ok? That was a big crow..."

"Crow?" Leo laughed weakly, "ok, funny. Seriously, you had me there for a second. But that was too big to be a crow, and anyways, crows don't normally fly into random people's heads...right? Yeah."

Percy frowned and glance at Frank, who didn't say anything, just pointed down the river. Leo's throat closed up as he saw the black bird soaring away, its feathers askew. It was the size of a bear cub.

"Ok." Leo choked, "so maybe it is a giant crow."

Frank shook his head in dismay, "Why is our luck so bad? We never meet regular sized animals. I don't have a problem with normal crows, but when they come in jumbo size? Then we have a problem."

"Yeah." Percy agreed, "we have better things to do then keep an eye out for giant birds."

"How about calling them feathery fiends?" Leo suggested.

"BLASPHEMY!"

Leo, Frank, and Percy whirled around as they heard the deep voice boom out, and found themselves face to face with a terrifying....clump of bushes.

"Heretic! Non-believer!" the bushes shivered with indignation.

Leo scratched his head. He had seen a lot of weird things, but talking, deeply religious bushes? Yeah, that was new.

The bushes quivered even more, and Leo almost lost his lunch as a giant hoof emerged. Followed by a leg, then another...

Frank's mouth fell open, "No way. No way that thing fit inside a couple bushes."

Leo had to agree. The bushes were half his size, and the centaur that unfolded out of them was twice as big as Frank, which was saying a lot. It's hair was was short and curly, and a small, curly goatee grew on his chin. His chest was also  bare, except for a long scar that ran all the way from his right shoulder, across his torso, to his left hip. Slung over his other shoulder was a quiver of arrows, from his waist hung a sword, and he clutched a bow in his hands. 

The centaur raised his hands, gesturing at the bushes and meadows around the river. His voice was deep and husky, but had a note of childish complaint in it. "Of course I fit! Everything within half a mile of this river belongs to me, and I belong to it. It was a small favor to ask of the bushes to hide me for a short while while I spied on you."