A Fight at Breakfast

Liam's eyes traveled over his shoulder to come across a young girl with braided brown hair draped around her shoulders. The girl was staring at him from behind with a curious look on her face.

The boy looked on in surprise as she prattled, "I said what're you doing?"

"I'm reading a book, and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me do it in peace," replied Liam quickly pulling the purple tome in his hands away from her view.

The girl didn't seem perturbed as she commented, "That's mean...Hey, how can you read that?"

A little bit of doubt showed itself on the boy's face as he gave a look to the other camper. Slowly a memory came back to him, the original symbols he saw that quickly shifted to English as he looked at them right after he first woke up in that park.

An idea came to mind as Liam lied, "I...I can't; I'm trying to figure out how. Like I said earlier I'd like it if you left me to it."

A small smile came onto the camper's face as she beamed, "Ooh! I know who can help, go to the Athena cabin they always know what to do with books."

Why won't she just take the hint? Thought the fledgling with an annoyed expression still holding the purple book tight in his hands.

Throughout the entire conversation, Liam had been trying to get her to leave him alone while still trying to be civil. The bright camper just wouldn't let him be. That and with every word she said the girl just seemed to be getting closer and closer; it made him uncomfortable.

"Hey, my name's Holly. What's yours?" inquired the girl now almost leaning onto the bed where Liam sat.

Liam started to open his mouth with another snarky reply before a feminine voice called out, "Holly can't you see you're bothering him? Leave him alone!"

Searching for the source of the sound the only boy in the room turned to his right to see another girl who looked quite similar to the one leaning off of his bedpost. She had almost the same exact appearance except for one thing; the girl seemed to not be as smile-filled as her little sister.

"Laurel don't be such a party-pooper! I was just gonna invite him to come into the rec-room with us," yelled Holly indignantly staring at her sister.

Laurel looked over still scowling as she sassed, "Oh, don't even start with that crap. You always do stuff like this; you're always so pushy."

What was left of the conversation started to devolve as the younger sister, Holly, said: "I am not!"

Her sister walked over and grabbed her by the arm before pulling Holly away. The younger girl didn't resist as the two trudged along back out towards the Cabin's living room quiet mutterings come from the both of them the whole way there.

The entire time Liam continued to stare at their antics; it seemed that every single person he met in the camp was weird. Putting a finger up to his lip the boy thought Come to think of it, I don't think there has been a single normal person in this camp...well, besides Luke maybe.

Slowly pulling out the purple tome from his hand Liam gave the room's only exit a hardened stare. The sound of ruffling pages scratched through the place as the boy flipped back to the page he was on. Bringing his eyes back down onto the printed words he started to read.

-Camp's Mess Hall the Next Morning-

The rest of that night for Liam was one spent reading into his newly acquired book. Over and over again he thought about quitting or taking a break from his studying of the damned thing but memories of the ethereal energy alone were enough to motivate him.

It called out to him in a primal way, like his very being wanted it. Not that Liam would have any true success.

For the last two hours before twelve, Liam decided to actually try what he read in the book. Over and over again he tried to feel the magicka as it was described to ultimately gain nothing. Unlike what he was hoping there was no sudden power gain, no sudden epiphany, no nothing at all.

The book described the feeling of drawing in power through the air into yourself but Liam couldn't get it. The fledgling didn't feel anything around him like what stuck to Falion like a cloak. It was empty, dark.

In the end, Liam got stuck on the first step given by A Novice's Guide to Conjuration only becoming more and more frustrated as the night went on. After feeling around for what felt like hours time seemed to quickly slip by before the call of "Light's out!" was heard from the rec-room.

The next morning Luke quickly rounded up all the campers in the cabin before ushering them out towards the dining pavilion at the ass crack of dawn. Letting out a long yawn Liam thought Screw this crap, it's too early.

The boy's eyes lazily traveled over the building stopping at certain points to see stragglers from other cabins walking about. The tiredness appeared to flee from Liam's face as he came across a familiar bow-wielding douche.

Coming past one of the Mess Hall's many marble pillars was Fletcher Yew looking no worse for wear other than a couple of scratches on his face. Slowly the Archer's eyes searched through the crowd of other campers before landing on the Hermes table.

Liam took in a hitched breath as Fletcher gave the boy a twitching smile filled with barely restrained malice.

The Archer shoved down his emotions before making his way over to the rest of the Apollo Cabin. As he reached it Liam heard one of the bunch ask, "Hey Fletch, where were you last night...wait is that mud in your hair?"

The teenager gave one final smoldering glare back at Liam before he growled, "...nowhere."

Apollo's other son appeared to think better of something as he chatted, "Ya sure, whatever you say man. Just don't come crying to me when we get stuck with stable duty again."

A small grimace came onto Fletcher's face before he quickly sat down in one of the Apollo table's empty spots.

"What's got you spooked?" questioned a mischievous twin with a large piece of bread in his hand.

Liam turned back towards his table before replying, "Ah...nothing much, thought I saw something."

Connor Stoll cut out a large chunk of his bread with his teeth before jesting, "Must be something then ghost boy." (1)

Around the table talking started up once again as Liam turned back to the food in front of him. Sitting atop the same silver platters from before was a generous mountain of bread and assorted cheeses. Liam grabbed a piece of it and popped it in his mouth.

A couple of seats down a rather tall demi-god called out, "No it's true I saw him go up into the attic!"

Liam looked over to see Chris Rodriguez with both of his hands outstretched talking to another one of the Hermes cabin. A little spaced on the name Liam thought What was it again? C-C something?

The other boy, known to most as Cecil, was sitting across from Chris with his arms crossed and a disbelieving look on his face. Scrunching up one of his eyebrows the camper said, "No way in Hades. He's too young."

The other hispanic looking boy pled, "Dood you gotta believe me; I was there. He even had Chiron with him and everything; I'm betting on a quest."

Quest? Pondered Liam taking a sip of his water.

Meanwhile, the Hermes cabin counselor watched on with great interest. Luke's face showed a small amount of worry at what Chris spewed before it quickly steeled over showing no emotion whatsoever. If Liam were to see it, the expression would seem almost unnatural on the scarred counselor's face. The look was a long cry from his usual cheerful demeanor.

Just a short distance away sat Chiron whose entire appearance seemed to be heavier than usual. Unlike the day prior he seemed to look like someone had put one hundred pound weights on either of his shoulders while he gave worrying glances at the entrance of the camp every few seconds.

Down the table Mr. D looked like the exact polar opposite; the man sat down in his luxurious chair happily eating away it the meal in front of him without a single worry present on his face. Slowly the recovering alcoholic turned towards the centaur to his left.

"You know, you'll have to tell them." commented the portly man with an almost amused expression on his face.

The Teacher of Heroes looked away from the camp's borders before replying, "And then what, cause a panic?"

Mr. D's look seemed to grow as he said, "Well that sounds like your problem, not mine."

Used to the treatment the Centaur didn't respond. He slowly looked around at the twelve tables in front of him before his eyes landed on the three empty ones near the front. Steeling himself the Activities Director did his best to hide his concern behind a mask.

Stomping on the ground with one hoof Chiron yelled out, "Quiet!"

All across the Mess Hall voices turned into hushed whispers as all eyes in the room locked onto the old Centaur. Popping a grape into his mouth Dionysus encouraged, "Well go on then! I don't have all day,"

Chiron suppressed what to most would be righteous anger as he turned around to address the camp.

"As I'm sure you may have heard, a prophecy has been issued." boomed the Centaur while staring at the distinctive center of the room.

The quiet whispering gained in volume for a second consisting mainly of words or phrases similar to, "Who?" and "A new quest!" depending on which table they came from.

The Teacher of Heroes brought up a single hand silencing the crowd once again before bellowing, "I am not allowed to tell you the specifics but three of your own left late last night on a journey from which they may not return."

Almost immediately a few distinct groans were heard from the Ares cabin as a leather toting teenager groaned, "Already! I wanted a chance..."

"Yes, Yes. Peter, Anabel, and Gregory have gone to die horrible painful deaths, get on with it already." called out Mr. D from behind the speech giver in an obnoxious tone.

Once again Chiron seemed to show his age before quickly squashing the worry down into his stomach. The Centaur's eyes gave a glance at the table with decorative shells carved into it before he monotoned, "As Mr. D has helpfully pointed out Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood were the three chosen for this endeavor."

A few soft murmurs traveled through the crowd, as well as some hateful glares, at the names but Chiron didn't have to reel them back in again. Across the room, Liam noticed most tables were having very different reactions.

A few of them were indifferent to the news. Those few were mostly made up of the Aphrodite and Demeter cabins who became fairly disinterested after they learned that the quest didn't affect any of their members which was quickly followed by their conversation turning back towards boys and agriculture respectively.

Athena's cabin was the most talkative with its gray-eyed members quietly arguing amongst themselves about what the quest could be about. Their conversation was slowly being pushed towards the closing of Olympus a few days prior.

The majority of the other campers were steering their conversations much like a high school lunchroom more worried about the drama than what was actually going on. Liam's table was included in this except for one.

Luke Castellan absentmindedly stared at Chiron as he stepped back towards the staff table. The scarred counselor anxiously scratched at the table before gritting his teeth. Looking up from the Hermes table with a defiant look on his face Luke thought What's done is done.

Liam himself really didn't know what to think.

After coming to Camp Half-blood it was just one thing after another in a long line of more and more outlandish events. It seemed like this was just setting up to be the next one. All this one would need is a reason to involve him and it would fit in just fine. A 'quest' didn't really seem too interesting when compared with what he's already seen.

Just as the noise within the dining pavilion began to bring itself back up to its usual level of talking someone ran inside like hell was at his back.

"Monster! Monster in the camp...thought you ought to know," exclaimed Sam Greenwood before collapsing to the cold ground below. (2)

To all that were listening in the distance, they could hear loud thunderous footsteps followed by what most would think was the neighing of a horse.

-Near the Camp's Lake-

After leaving Liam on his first night back at camp Sam really did sleep until it was dark again. The satyr ended up walking out into the camp near a glade before promptly passing out in a pile of leaves.

It was a hell of a lot better than his apartment at least.

Nearly ten hours later Sam's ears picked up on the chirping of birds and the last remnants of morning dew which settled onto his back as he slept. Feeling refreshed the Satyr decided to roam the camp for a bit and get something to sate his rising appetite, which led Sam on a journey towards the strawberry fields and ultimately to the camp's lake after getting a quick bite to eat.

Slowly, Sam trudged up the crystal clear body of water in front of him; it still looked as fresh and inviting as the last time he had been there. A small smile came onto the boy's face as he thought back to some of the inhabitants of the lake.

Like the rest of Camp Half-blood, the lake was filled to the brim seemingly teeming with nature spirits. Although they don't all necessarily stay in the body of water for too long. Lightly scratching his head the Satyr approached hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the water's mysterious beauties.

All around the lake's ridge, the chirping birds stopped as he walked up to the lake. There was no sound other than the slow drawn-out breaths coming from his mouth. Not noticing a single thing, Sam leaned over the lake's edge and peered into its depths.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Down below the boy could see a whole swath of life, of nature in action.

Algae and other plant-stuffs floated around the lake being fed on by those at the bottom of the ecosystem. Feeding on the algae and other things that floated near the bottom were small crustaceans, crawdads dyed red or blue. Small schools of bluegill swam buy voraciously protecting the mounds which marked their nests from anything that would dare draw near. It was one of the small hives of nature present all throughout Camp Half-blood.

I'm home. happily thought Sam as he continued to look around the lake.

The Satyr's eyes were drawn to search for what he originally came for. Scanning the environment for any of the elusive enchantresses, Sam came across something quite odd.

Floating just on the lake's surface was a worn, wooden bucket.

Not thinking much of it the boy walked around the lake's edge approaching the spot at which it was hitched. The tool was floating just near the pond's beach turned upside down. Below it was the deepest part of the body of water, where the water became murky enough for one not to be able to see through it.

Taking in another deep breath of the clean air, Sam gave a quick look around to see if whoever left the tool was still there. The Naiads, or just any of the nature spirits really, didn't take kindly to litter in their homes.

Just where are they anyway? I haven't seen a single one since I came here... wondered Sam bringing his eyes down towards his feet.

His blue eyes widened at the sight below him.

The green blades of grass near the lake's edge were trampled thin with what looked like chunks of fresh meat splattered with blood just below the grass's thick bush. A set of hoof-like prints, much like his own, led to the lake before suddenly disappearing in the blood-stained spot.

Slack-jawed the Satyr felt his heart slowly start to quicken its beats.

From behind him, a low snort was heard along with the sounds of rushing water. Widely opening his eyes Sam turned back towards the noise with terror present on his face.

Pulling itself from the depths was the largest monster the boy had ever had the misfortune to set his eyes on. Coming first was the black-skinned head shaped much like a horse but with far too many bone-like appendages jutting from its mouth and head.

"N-No, those things must be as long as one of my arms..." quavered Sam as he took a step away from the creature.

Slowly, the beast wretched one of its large limbs from the water laying it upon the muddied beach in front of it. Five-inch-long claws ripped through the wet dirt cutting away at the land like a hot knife through butter. A gravelly roar rumbled through from the horse-like monster's throat as it pulled itself free from the lake's grasp.

With his heart hammering away in his chest Sam turned away and quickly fled with his goat-like feet impacting the dirt below with reckless abandon.

After getting a good ten-second head start the Satyr heard it.

Thump.

Thump.

THUMP.

Panicked, Sam took a quick peek over his shoulder at the noise.

Not but twenty feet behind him the beast was chasing after its prey drudging its long claws through the dirt. Behind it, the thing left behind a trail of upturned earth clearly marking out long tracks with wide cuts made by each of the three claws at the end of its legs.

The monster's head was turned parallel with the Earth, bringing three-pronged fury to all who would dare be in its path. Sam's eyes turned back to the front.

The boy's eyes nervously looked ahead as he passed by the cabins like hellfire was at his back. Up ahead the Mess Hall came into view with the telltale sign of marble and rising smoke coming from the building's roof.

"Not-" *huff* "-gonna-" *huff* "-make it!" panted Sam as the sound of pounding crept ever closer behind him.

In the pavilion in front of him, he could see most if not all of the campers assembled at their different tables with Chiron standing in the middle of the room next to the building's brazier. The Centaur's eyes looked on in surprise as Sam ran into the middle of the room diving forward.

Just before the Satyr landed he yelled out, "Monster! Monster in the camp...thought you ought to know." collapsing to the cold ground below.

All around the room shock quickly turned to action as a mountain of a monster barreled between two of the pillars holding the Mess Hall's roof afloat. All the eyes in the room were pulled to the creature as Chiron exclaimed, "Scatter!"

It seemed that the order did not come fast enough as the creature barreled through the table nearest it with all the members still struggling to react. The sound of wood breaking mixed with screams as members of the Aphrodite cabin were thrown through the air at the elephant-sized monster's charge.

Luke reacting quicker than most drew the blade he kept at his hip before pulling away from the table at which he sat. Following soon after, the rest of the Hermes cabin followed suit with their members backing away and drawing their arms.

An ear-blasting roar echoed about as the beast angrily stomped on the stone beneath its feet ripping tears through the concrete below. It's beady eyes narrowed as all around demi-gods fled from its might.

"What in the Hades is that thing!" screeched a girl from the ground just a few feet away from the monster.

One of Athena's children seemed to have the answer as the girl's stormy eyes narrowed at its head before muttering, "Odontotyrrannus...A Tooth Tyrant." (3)

Liam looked over at Sam in horror. The Tooth Tyrant was almost on top of him now as it continued to angrily display its might stomping about at those nearby. Not thinking much about himself Liam ran forward hoping to get his friend out of the way.

The beast let out a snort at the sight of one of the man-kin approaching it. With deliberate slowness, it lowered its head towards the floor pointing all three of the longhorns on its head towards Liam's chest. The Tyrant's back foot threateningly drummed against the ground while its muscles bulged with silent strength.

The fledgling's eyes nervously looked between the beast and Sam on the floor before he just enough time to say, "Oh, fuck."

Leaving its previous prey unslaughtered the Tyrant put its entire body behind a single charge hoping to gore the one who dared to approach it. The ground underneath its feet cracked even further as the beast bounded forward bringing death in its wake.

Move Liam! Screamed the boy in his mind as he dived to the side.

The Tooth Tyrant shot past at the speed of a car smashing through the Hermes table and a few unlucky campers in its path. The sound of squelching flesh became apparent in everyone's ears as a girl let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Liam's eyes darted behind him from the ground to see the source of the noise.

The two chocolate brown orbs widened in shock as Liam came to see what the creature had on its head. Raised high up into the air was one of his own cabin mates with three large horns sticking throughout her body, red blood leaked like a fountain dripping along the Tyrant's face and neck. Her neck was bulging as she lightly grasped the top horn that pierced through it. Slowly the girl's panicked eyes drooped towards the ground.

The last thing Laurel Victor would see was her sister's face stricken in horror as it was splashed with her own blood.

As quickly as the beast speared the girl through it threw her away flinging its head to the side sending the camper's mutilated body with it, landing near the bonfire with a loud crunch. Steam came from the Tyrant's nostrils as it turned back around with another growl.

Across the pavilion, Chiron's eyes seemed to dim as he looked at a dead camper sprawled across the ground before he quickly steeled himself. Grasping the bow off his back and taking aim the Centaur ordered, "Archers, form a line! Those within melee range pull away and regroup."

Hurried footsteps followed his words as almost the entire Apollo cabin split up into to form a semi-circle around the beast, drawing their weapons. Soon after a gratuitous amount of whistling noises cut through the air as the archers opened fire. A majority of the arrows struck true sinking their bronze retribution into the beast.

Liam stumbled a bit as he pulled himself up heading towards Sam as quickly as he could.

Closer to the Tyrant, different cabins seemed to form cohesive units as a select few pulled away but the others drew their groups thin hoping to distract the beast. A glorious symphony of metal being pulled from sheathes was heard as they continued to form up.

Sam continued to crawl away breathing heavily all the while. He seemed to be struggling to do as much as stand. Sam would limply push himself up only for his body to crumble under its own weight, falling on his left leg. Liam's eyes were drawn down towards the leg as he came across another splash of red.

Mixing in with the shaggy brown that made up his friend's legs was the distinct pinkish wood of the Aphrodite cabin's table pushed through his thigh. Adrenaline seemed to keep Liam up and moving as he rushed forward gripping Sam by his shoulder roughly pulling the boy to his feet.

Behind the two the battle still raged as the Tyrant continued to try and maw those around with its claws and teeth. The beast did not seem the least bit perturbed to the hundreds of celestial bronze arrows stuck all throughout its hide.

The more melee-oriented cabins were engaging the beast on foot with the Ares cabin leading the charge in a blood-crazed frenzy. Along the creature's legs, small shallow cuts began to build up leaking gold sand across the Mess Hall. One Ares camper in particular seemed to be leading the charge.

Standing directly in front of the Tyrant with a large manic smile on her face was Clarisse La Rue.

She had on the camp's usual orange while over it was a green jacket with its sleeves cut off. Her bandana from before was gone mixed in somewhere with the rubble while her head was bleeding from a small cut near her temple.

"Nothings working, the hide's too thick!" called out a doubtful daughter of Hephaestus as she pulled another incapacitated camper away from the fight.

The Hermes cabin appeared to have the younger members evacuate while the older ones, Luke and Cecil, continued to fight flying around the beast in a great show of their dexterity. Luke's gladius was darting in and out of the fray cutting along the beast's thick hide leaving shallow lacerations near its legs.

Meanwhile, the Tyrant seemed to become more and more annoyed at the pesky demi-gods around it biting at it like ants. Every time the creature tried to go for a kill one of the other campers would come in to save the other. The Odontotyrrannus let out an annoyed huff through its horse-like nostrils.

"Keep looking there has to be a weak spot somewhere!" commanded Clarisse as she dove in once again with her spear piercing into the Tyrants skin before pulling it back out.

Near the archer's, cabin six were voraciously talking amongst themselves while some yelled out commands reordering the other campers into more opportune positions. Whenever one of the gray-eyed teenagers saw someone about to collapse they would pull them away allowing another to take their place.

All in all the defense was rather solid for such a disadvantageous fight.

The Tyrant let out another roar before pulling its head down once again. Almost immediately Luke yelled out, "Watch out, it's about to charge again!"

The beast's head came level to the ground pointing its horns towards the bonfire still burning brightly in the center of the room. One camper in particular, Malcolm Pace, remembered something from this monster's legend that none of the others did.

"Fire! Kill it with fire, burn the beast." exclaimed the stormy-eyed boy pointing over to the brazier in the middle of the room.

Luke's eyes narrowed at the boy's words before he begrudgingly moved towards the camp's bonfire with steel in his eyes. Before the Tyrant could charge he yelled out, "Hey ugly, over here!"

The elephant-sized monster brought its beady, black eyes to face the noise locking onto the orange-shirted man-kin in front of it. The Tooth Tyrant stomped it's back right leg before charging once more, blowing away all in its path.

Luckily for the scarred counselor, he didn't intend to be in it, not for very long at least.

Standing a short distance away from the beast directly in front of the camp's bonfire, Luke leaned down towards the ground preparing to jump. In his head, he thought Alright, I got one chance for this.

The teenager's eyes went back towards the beast in front of it as he counted out loud, "One...two...three!" before leaping to the left.

The Tooth Tyrant's eyes went wide as the fire was revealed before just as the man-kin jumped out of the way. If one were to be watching they would see a semblance of fear show through those eyes as the beast hurriedly tried to stop its assault.

The beast's momentum couldn't end itself quick enough as the Tyrant slammed into the large brazier knocking itself and the fire to the ground with a metallic clang. All around the room eyes shot towards the creature as a deep screech of pure pain hit their eardrums.

As soon as the low-burning orange flames licked the beast's slime-covered hide it took to the fuel like a fish to water. Fire surged all over the brute as it let out long horse-like whines of pain and started to spasm on the floor. The smell of burning meat wafted through the Mess Hall.

"Get back!" demanded Chiron as the monster continued to flail about sending anything close enough to it flying.

The low screams slowly began to fade as the seconds passed by before the spasms began to die down as well. Slowly the monster's last veneer of life faded as the now charred creature began to crumble into blackened sand.

Just on the sidelines of the fight, Liam let out a sigh of relief as he pulled Sam up onto a table and leaned him against it, trying to keep pressure off his wound. The Satyr seemed to be getting pale and his eyes were rapidly blinking not focusing on the world around him.

"H-Hey...I need some help over here!" exclaimed Liam as he looked down to the blood-covered wound on Sam's inner thigh.