“Well, this just isn’t right,” Hermione snapped as the children found themselves running with the strange man to the car. They all jumped in and the car took off. Hermione continued, “Would you mind explaining to me what the hell is going on here? Why did that monster come out and attack Ron?”
“Why did my wand burst into flames?” Ron cried out.
“What do you mean Kronos has returned? Jacquel snapped, which shut everyone up.
The man said, “We can’t talk about this right now; all your questions will be answered once we get to camp…”
“Camp? What camp?” cried Ron. “No one told me about any camp!”807Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkE59pazHB
“Well, you’ll soon find out soon enough,” said the man.
“So let me get this straight: Ron can’t do magic and his wand burst into flames?” Hermione snapped. “What is going on here and what have you done to him?”
“I didn’t do anything to him,” said the man. “He’s a demigod.”807Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyU9aD216ox
“A demi-what?” Hermione snarled.
“Demigod,” said Jacquel as she picked up D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Mythology. “The child of a Greek god and a mortal. It is known that the Greek gods came down to earth and hook up with mortals, so to speak. The children born from those unions are demigods. So what else explains why the monster attacked Ron and addressed him as the son of the Sea God?”
“Indeed,” said Hermione as she glared at Jacquel with jealousy.
“Still, what does the sinking of the Titanic have to do with me?” Ron cried out. “My dad had nothing to do with it!”
“Arthur Weasley had nothing to do with the Titanic,” said Jacquel, “but Poseidon did. He found the monster responsible and chained him to the sea floor as punishment…”
“…until Ron killed him,” said Hermione. “Why are you repeating this stuff? I don’t care to hear about it!”
“I don’t understand,” said Ron. “I mean, we were recently told about the gods and demigods and heroes by that Chiron guy. He claims that these stories are true.”
“Well, are they?” Hermione snapped.
Jacquel stared ahead and said, “I think we’re in further trouble.”
“Whatever do you mean?” said Ron.807Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmwI7w9lf0
“It’s a Minotaur!” yelled the man. The kids barely had time to react before the Minotaur struck the car and flipped it over.
“A what?” Hermione cried out.807Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhKEgevw6z
“For once in your life, shut up!” Jacquel snapped. “Besides, the Minotaur is an evil creature that lived in a maze in a castle and ate innocent teenagers who dared to walk into the labyrinth.”
“Labyrinth?” said Hermione. “Are you seriously talking about that movie with David Bowie?”
“Shut the hell up!” Jacquel snapped in anger. She looked behind her and saw the man frantically pulling off his pants. “We’re being attacked by a Minotaur,” she cried out. “This is no time for a bathroom break!”
“I’m not going on a bathroom break, I’m going to break you all out of here,” said the man as his pants came off, revealing a pair of legs that belonged to a goat.
Ron gasped as he saw what Jacquel was seeing. “What’s this? The guy just decided to turn into a goat?”
“Half-goat, actually,” said the man. “I’m what you kids call a satyr.”
“Satyr?” Jacquel cried out. “I’m defiantly dreaming.”
“Well, better wake up, kid, because this is your stop,” said the man-turned-satyr as he kicked the windshield and the glass shattered. Jacquel took the hint and climbed out the car. Ron and Hermione followed her, and the satyr said, “OK kids, now we have to run to camp. It’s located behind two pillars. Now run!”
Jacquel needed no second instruction, as she took off as if it was her last day on earth. Hermione said, “I don’t care if she thinks it’s real; I’m not going into any strange—”
The satyr swept her onto his shoulders and grabbed Ron’s hand. Ron could barely keep up with the satyr as he ran towards a pillared archway, where Jacquel was waiting for them. “We’re safe now, right?” she asked.
The satyr said, “We will be once we go inside.”
This time, it was Jacquel’s turn to be apprehensive. “I’m not sure if I want to go in,” she said. “Besides, the monster wants only Ron. Hermione and I are little more than a hindrance…”
“I know,” said the satyr, “but if we don’t make it inside, then you’ll never find out the answers to your questions.”
“Indeed,” said Jacquel as she looked behind them and saw the Minotaur approaching. “He’s coming back!”
“Run straight inside!” said the satyr. “CAMPERS TO THE DOORWAY NOW!!! We have a possible demigod among us and he needs to be protected!”
At once, a large group of campers rushed to the doorway, all armed to the teeth with weapons. The satyr said to a group, “You take these kids to the infirmary, they may have gotten hurt in the accident. The rest of you, when I give the signal, we blow the Minotaur to kingdom come!”
As if his body was taking directions from someone else, Ron pulled out his sword. Hermione raced behind him, saying, “Ron, you can’t do this! Let me stop him!”
“So your wand can burst into flames as well?” Jacquel cried out. “When last I checked, monsters aren’t very receptive to magic at all, especially wizard’s magic!”
“Well, I’m not a demigod, or am I?” said Hermione. “Now let me try this theory out. You can shoot him if the spell doesn’t work.”
“What if she fails?” said Ron.
“Then you can stab him to death,” said Hermione.
“What if that doesn’t work?” Jacquel cried out.
“There is an army of campers who will finish what you have started,” said the satyr. “Here he comes!”
Hermione waved her wand and zapped the Minotaur. It roared in anger and snatched her, intending to rip her to pieces. “You never said that I could get ripped into pieces!” she cried out.
Jacquel pulled out a bow and arrow and shot the Minotaur in the eye. It roared even louder and dropped Hermione. She fell to the ground, unconscious. It soon leered at Jacquel, filling her with fear.
Ron then jumped onto the Minotaur’s back and began stabbing it just as Jacquel pulled out a long thin knife and stepped between the Minotaur and Hermione. The other campers began firing arrows at the Minotaur, and it swatted at the arrows as it tried to get at both Ron and Jacquel.
Somehow, one of Ron’s blows seemed to hit home, as the Minotaur roared in pain and then vanished into thin air. The campers gasped as they saw the monster disintegrate and Ron fall to the ground. Jacquel dropped the knife and rushed to him, saying, “Are you all right?”
“I think so,” said Ron. “It’s not everyday that we can slay a monster and remain intact.”
Jacquel nodded and tuned to see even more campers pouring out through the archway and rush toward them. Everyone was eager to see the boy who had almost single-handedly defeated the Minotaur. Ron, suddenly tired from the fight, collapsed and fell as a familiar figure reached out to catch him…
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