Of Gods and Monsters
written by [offline]Rowan Blackthorn
Evie has always been... different. She's seen weird things, and doesn't know what to make of them; but it all changes when she gets attacked and is helped out of danger by an unlikely savior. (Percy Jackson fan fic)
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
46
Reads
499
A plan, or rather, a lack of one
Chapter 36
"Hercules," I said, remembering a series of drawings I had done a few months back. I dug out my sketchpad from my back, and flipped to one of the first pages in it. After a couple illustrations of Hercules battling various monsters, such as the Nemean Lion and the Hydra, I came to the one I needed, and seeing the drawing jogged my memory.
"His sixth task was to get rid of the flesh-eating Stymphalian birds," I explained, pointing to the drawing. “And I’m guessing that we have to do the same.”
“Didn’t he use these noisemaker things like castanets to scare them?” asked Cress, looking at the drawing. “And then he shot the birds with arrows tipped with poison.”
“Ancient Greek krotala made out of bronze, not castanets,” corrected Jake. “Athena gave them to Hercules to help him.”
“Same difference,” said Cress, shrugging. “But the problem is, how are we supposed to defeat the birds? We don’t have Athena to give us these krotala, and neither do we have a bow, or arrows, or poison.”
“That’s a problem, yeah,” I muttered, my mind racing for a solution. “You wouldn’t happen to have any of those in your backpack, would you?” I asked Jake.
“No,” he sighed. “Bronze krotala would be a very random thing to bring on a quest, and none of us really know archery, so it would be pointless to bring a bow. And I’m not even going to start about poison.”
I looked at the two of them. “I never thought I’d say this,” I started. “But maybe we should just do a full on charge. No plan, no nothing.”
“Somebody’s been spending too much time with me!” said Cress, grinning. “But I’m all for it.”
Jake looked at me like I was crazy. “Well, majority rules, I guess.” His voice was bitter. “I love that nobody listens to me.” he muttered under his breath, maybe thinking that I wouldn’t hear. Jake slung his backpack off his shoulders and got his sword out of it. “Let’s go then, I guess?” he asked.
“Yeah!” yelled Cress. “Time to kill some birds!”
"His sixth task was to get rid of the flesh-eating Stymphalian birds," I explained, pointing to the drawing. “And I’m guessing that we have to do the same.”
“Didn’t he use these noisemaker things like castanets to scare them?” asked Cress, looking at the drawing. “And then he shot the birds with arrows tipped with poison.”
“Ancient Greek krotala made out of bronze, not castanets,” corrected Jake. “Athena gave them to Hercules to help him.”
“Same difference,” said Cress, shrugging. “But the problem is, how are we supposed to defeat the birds? We don’t have Athena to give us these krotala, and neither do we have a bow, or arrows, or poison.”
“That’s a problem, yeah,” I muttered, my mind racing for a solution. “You wouldn’t happen to have any of those in your backpack, would you?” I asked Jake.
“No,” he sighed. “Bronze krotala would be a very random thing to bring on a quest, and none of us really know archery, so it would be pointless to bring a bow. And I’m not even going to start about poison.”
I looked at the two of them. “I never thought I’d say this,” I started. “But maybe we should just do a full on charge. No plan, no nothing.”
“Somebody’s been spending too much time with me!” said Cress, grinning. “But I’m all for it.”
Jake looked at me like I was crazy. “Well, majority rules, I guess.” His voice was bitter. “I love that nobody listens to me.” he muttered under his breath, maybe thinking that I wouldn’t hear. Jake slung his backpack off his shoulders and got his sword out of it. “Let’s go then, I guess?” he asked.
“Yeah!” yelled Cress. “Time to kill some birds!”
