Chapter 202 - The end of the Manticore

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced.

"And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

Drako was wondering how did he get all that out of a single mooooo.

"Wait," Zoe said, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"

"Is the cow important?" Bianca asked.

Percy told them the story about how he saved the cow (chapter 186).

Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well… yeah."

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?" Percy asked.

"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My… my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" Percy looked down at the bull serpent. "But… he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge, dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus doesn't bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes that word," Grover said.

Percy patted Bessie on the head, trying to calm him down.

"How could anyone hurt him?" Drako said. "He's harmless."

Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy aeons ago when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed it entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods… how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head.

"We have to protect him," Percy told her. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's… that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged.

Standing behind them, his two-colour eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically, he didn't look much better than the guys down at the soup kitchen.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honour me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two security guys, mortal mercenaries. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case they tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above them—but they knew that wouldn't stop the manticore from acting.

"Where… where are the skeletons?" Percy asked.

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

"We beat you once before."

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas… that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoe notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of them raised their guns.

"Wait!" Percy said. "Zoe, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoe Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it's clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteen birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

"Shut up."

After those two words, no one spoke.

The manticore fell silent and didn't dare to open his mouth. He could feel the cold iron on his neck. It was for a moment, then he shouted. "Fire!"

Percy and the rest prepared themselves to die, but no gun was fired.

"What's happening?" the manticore asked.

"You talk too much, weakling. Now they are all dead," Drako spoke form behind the manticore.

From the moment he sensed the manticore on the distance, Drako used stealth to hide from everyone. His level of stealth was so high that only Zoe noticed that Drako has disappeared, and she kept it silence because she knew that Drako has his own motives to do it.

The manticore face was deadly pale, he knew that he had f.u.c.k.i.e.d it up. Now, The General was going to send him to Tartarus.

"Percy, come with me. We can save the Ophiotaurus before anything bad happens to it."

"What do you mean?"

"Call your father," Drako said. "Grover, you understand this cow, don't you? Guide it towards Long Island. Percy, pray for their safety to your father."

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too."

The Ophiotaurus can jump between bodies of water, Drako had observed that. From Long Island to the Hoover Dam, now in San Francisco. It was obviously following Percy, but now he needs a guide. Grover is the only one who can understand it, so he was the chosen one.

"Dad," Percy said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

Something big… they didn't really have anything like that.

"Take this."

Drako took of the Nemean Lion fur, and he gave it to Percy.

He glanced at Zoe, who was watching him carefully. Drako realized some time ago who Zoe's hero had been—the one who'd ruined her life, gotten her kicked out of her family, and never even mentioned how she'd helped him.

"I'll only rely upon myself to achieve everything," Drako said. "If I'm going to conquer the world, I'm not going to depend on the lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

When the coat touched the water, it turned back into a golden lion skin. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into the sunlight on the water.

The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," they told them.

"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um… Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

"Moooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And… it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge, and Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention—" Glub!

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Drako said with a sigh.

"Hmm, Drako, what are you going to do with Dr. Thorn," Bianca asked.

"Well, I thought that we could use him to get where Artemis. But he is not useful now."

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked.

"Oh, you can ask Zoe," Drako said. "She knows perfectly where we have to go now."

All of them looked at the huntress. "You know where to go?"

Her face was the same colour as the fog in San Francisco. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

Drako nodded.

"Now, Mr nobody," he said to the manticore. "Just die in silence, thanks."

He pierced his throat with a single trust.

[910 experience points have been obtained.]

[Because of the effects of Title Skill [Walking Egg]. Another 910 experience points were obtained.]

[The level of [Nephilim Dragon] raised from 106 to 107.]