{Long Island, 10th of September 1999}
My eyes fluttered open as I felt Argus' hand nudging my knee. I looked at him and only received a "Hmm" as a response as he signed that we were here, the car coming to a stop.
"Thanks, Argus keep the camp in good shape for me." I said to the hundred eyed giant as I left the car, once again only receiving the giant's usual grunt as a response as he quickly left with the car in the direction to camp.
"Well I guess I should start with figuring out how many national park's there are or at least buy a map or something." I said aloud as I started gathering Mist around me and implanting my will into it so I would be invisible to mortal eyes.
With it being my first time in my life ever leaving camp, I started first just by walking randomly across the city trying to figure out where I could purchase a map of the US and its national parks.
After thirty minutes of continuous walking I 'saw' a huge building with a sign saying Target on it, 'Let's try this place.' I couldn't help but think. I pushed open the glass doors revealing files upon files of times. 'This place could probably have it.' I though to myself.
I started wondering across the store seeing different items which I had never seen before all of them provoking a slight amount of wonder in me, I finally reached a section where it seemed I would find what I was looking for.
I rummaged through the line of maps and grabbed a few I found interesting until finally my'sight' caught onto a map that read National Parks,USA.
I looked at the piece of paper in front of me and all the spots on it, and I couldn't help but sigh aloud 'Well looks like I have a few to look over.' I couldn't help but think while seeing the 63 different underlined sections on the map.
I carefully started placing all maps I had gathered into my shadow while I stared in fascination as they sunk in. Then with the mist cloaking me from any prying eyes I left the store while doing some minor theft since I didn't think anyone would mind losing a few maps.
"Ok let's look at this map again." I said aloud while I sunk my hand into my shadow and grabbed my desired map. I looked at it and started thinking to myself in which place the Calydonian Boar.
According to its myth the boar was said to be huge bigger than some of the smaller trees so I started by crossing out the smaller parks since even though mortals shouldn't be able to see it,the destruction it would cause would still draw a lot of attention.
Then according to the myth the Boar was sent by Artemis to attack the city of Calydon which was situated in the west, the boar most likely would also be west following its first orders, I thought to myself while crossing off the national parks situated at the east of the US.
"Well that eliminates a few from the list" I whispered aloud as I looked at the map once again with fresh eyes whilst checking off mentally the national parks that wouldn't make sense.
"I guess I should start with the biggest one, Wrangell-St. Elias, Alaska." I said with conviction since the other three biggest national parks after it were also situated in Alaska.
Just as I had made my mind, I placed the map into my shadow, at the edge of what my 'sight' could catch, seven monsters rushing at me through the streets.
A body of a stag, the neck of a lion, with cloven hooves, and a wide mouth with a sharp, bony ridge in place of teeth. "Leukrokottas, this is going to be fun." I said aloud as a huge grin formed on my face, I decided to wait here for my pursuers.
I started gathering even more Mist around me so as to block the views of the mortals' as best as I could, and at the last moment of my preparations had been completed the seven leukrokottas showed their faces as they turned from a corner a street away.
I summoned from my own shadow, five shadowy tendrils. "So why are you coming after me?" I asked the monsters as they stopped before me when I had summoned my tendrils.
"Nothing much you smell too good." A leukrokotta said while salivating profusely. "Hey, hey I am just nine, don't let Artemis hear you say that." I said sarcastically.
"Hey, don't you think he smells similar." A leukrokotta at the back of the pack said aloud. "Now that you mention it." The leukrokotta that had spoken before said as it sniffed the air with its giant nostrils. "Yes, he does smell like her doesn't she." The leukrokotta continued.
"What the hell are you guys talking about?" I questioned the monsters before me. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with." The salivating leukrokottas said in unison.
The pack of monsters suddenly dashed at me, I quickly summoned my spear from my tatoo, it magically appearing in my hand. "Let's do this." I yelled with a wide grin.
I controlled my tendrils to slap away the first attack of the monsters' advances, but they seemed to react too quickly for my tendrils to actually hit them. I decided to go into the battle myself, I tensed my legs to the maximum I could and slammed my back foot against the ground slightly breaking the pavement.
I dashed at the leukrokotta who was closest to me and enclosed it's sides by using my tendrils which also worked as a way to not having to deal with the others. The monster at seeing it was slightly cornered didn't seem to back down.
It stomped its cloven hooves and rushed its head opening its mouth wide open gping in for a bite at my shoulder.
Just as I felt I was close enough to the monster I changed my grip on the pole and pierced through the monster's neck and through its brain, I retrieved my spear quickly the body of the monster already disintegrating with the only aftermath of our one on one being the blood trickling down the spear.
Using my shadow tendrils which now only worked to block the leukrokottas from me, I decided to envelope myself in a cocoon and just as I felt the monsters attacking the dome of tendrils I opened slight windows for me to attack at them through the cocoon.
Little by little I whittled their numbers until only one was left, I felt the monster lunged at the dome once more probably fueled by its own monster instinct and vengeance for its fallen pack members.
I dissipated the shadowy tendrils around me, letting the monster through but just as it was in the middle of its lunge I sidestepped it and slashed down with my spear, decapitating the monster instantly, it quickly disintegrated but a small puddle of blood formed beneath where it had been killed.
"Well, that was as good of a warm up as any." I said while I unsummoned my spear the tatoo of a Greek helmet reappearing o my right hand. I started stretching my arms to the sky, and said in a questioning manner "Now, how the hell do I get to Alaska?"
*Author Note: sorry for not uploading yesterday guys had some stuff to do, also I am not really good at writing fight scenes but I do hope to improve just like everything else in my writing. Thx for reading, gimme power stones pls it is very much appreciated. Author out.*
Hoped you liked this chapter, also gimme power stones.