When we all went back to the alley after the concert, Phoenix was waiting for us. She looked nervous and paranoid; she wanted us to leave quickly.

She said quickly, “We must hurry, my lady. I don’t think we’re alone.”

I said to her, being careful to limit my words. “What do you mean?”

She asked, “You can talk?”

I looked at her. “What do you mean I can talk? I’m having a conversation with a horse like its normal.”

We heard a rustle behind the dumpsters. Jason pulled out his sword, Piper unsheathed her knife, Leo summoned out his hammer, and Fern got his pipes. I tried to calm Phoenix down, she was pacing nervously. A huge shadow moved behind the trashcans. It started to walk away from the trashcan. We were more than ready to see what it was. When it came out from behind the trashcan, we saw what it was.

A bird.

Everyone groaned then we all looked at Phoenix. She was still nervous at the presence of the bird.

Leo looked at it. “It’s a pigeon.”

He then looked at Phoenix, then at me. “Your horse is afraid of a pigeon.”

It looked like the average, stubby pigeon I always see in Los Angeles. Suddenly its form started to shift; now it looked more metallic like an automan. It was made of both silver and bronze with a sharp bronze beak. Each of its feathers looked like in was also made from bronze and it vaguely reminded me of (gulp) knives.

We heard a couple of fluttering of wings behind us. We turned around and we saw some more of the birds were on the clothes lines behind us. We heard some more flapping, and saw there were more of them on the roof tops. We heard a screech of an animal, we looked behind us and saw some more on the dumpster. One of the pigeons looked like they had blood on its beak. It picked up a piece of meat, and then it threw back its head and swallowed it. When were pigeons carnivores? I looked beside the bird and saw a fake fur scarf. No, it’s not a scarf. It had black fur, and looked like it was all skin and fur, no bones. I threw up a little bit in my mouth, it’s a cat. Well it was a cat, more like a carcass now. I took a glance at Piper, she looked green. Then at Fern I looked at Fern, he clutched his stomach. They both looked like they wanted to hurl.

I interpret Pheonix, "You should be frightened."

"The horse is half bird, and it's afraid of it's own kind?" Leo asked.

Phoenix whinnied. “I am not horsing around, boy. This is not a mere pigeon, that thing is a-”

Fern finished for her (I later found out he could also talk to animals, who knew?) “You guys, it’s a stymphalian bird.”

We started to back away from it. My mind is still filled with Roman myths, the bird’s name is familiar, but it would be useless to try to remember it. The bird is a Greek creature, I’m no help here. But thank the gods that Fern was a satyr and knows his Greek myths but sadly he knows them too well.

“The Stymphalian birds are carnivore, or man-eating birds.” Fern said. “You’re welcome Leo.”

Leo nodded, “Thanks, I accidentally forgot my encyclopedia at home.”

At that moment, the birds started to flutter down to the ground. We were completely surrounded, by birds. If you guys didn’t catch that, we’ve been cornered by a bunch of pigeons. You got that? Just making sure.

Fern continued, “They have bronze beaks and sharp, knife-like feathers. They can shoot them like arrows to their targets.”

We heard one of them give an ear-piercing screech. Soon they all started to screech like a symphony playing really, really badly and were out of tune. Suddenly they started to poop out white droppings. Great, now it’s raining pigeon droppings. We all duck behind the dumpsters away from the fake snow. We had to flip the dumpster lids to make a sort of roof for Phoenix.

“I think you guys should know something”, Fern admitted. “The Stymphalian’s dung is very toxic, so watch out.”

“Thanks Fern,” Jason said.

Piper asked, “Anything else you forgot to tell us?”

Fern ignored the sarcasm. “Nope, I think I told you everything.”

Leo used his hammer like a mike. “For today’s weather forecast, we’ll have unusual white toxic rain coming from the north. So bring you umbrellas folks, it’s not raining the usual cats and dogs today.”

Piper pushed Leo. “We don’t have time for jokes.”

Fern added, “Oh wait, I forgot to tell you how these things can be defeated.”

We all screamed (even me), “WHAT!”

Fern held his hands in defense. “Hercules had to defeat these things in one of his 12 labors. He used brass bells or castanets, to make the worst sound he could have possibly made.”

Everyone then turned to me. I looked at them with started eyes, why will they be looking at… I banged my head onto the alley wall. I wanted to break down and cry, my voice, how embarrassing. My singing voice is right now the worst sound any of us can make.

Phoenix nudged me, “Don’t fret, my lady. Your voice has been found useful for once.”

I glared at my horse. I said to her, not caring that my voice was limited.

“When we finish this quest, I’m tying you and Blackjack to a stake.”

Phoenix looked at me in bewilderment. “How can you be so cruel my lady?”

I petted her. “Don’t fret Phoenix.”

Leo summoned out a megaphone from his tool belt. I sat on Phoenix, and then galloped into the sky. The stymphalian birds followed us; then I used the megaphones and sang as loud as I could, even some opera.

The birds panicked and went crazy. Everything was in chaos; the sky was filled with the birds. Some plummeted to people, trying to eat anything that was unprotected. A lot of them freaked out and it started to rain their droppings. Many people tried to duck away, I didn’t no what they were seeing with the miss, but they sure were scared.

I summoned out a bow and set of arrows. I shot 5 arrows at the time, I never missed my targets. It took a while, but soon they all lay dead on the streets of New Orleans. Phoenix fluttered down back to the others. Behind Leo were a couple of toasted birds.

Leo smiled, “Roasted pigeon anyone?”

Piper said in disgust, “That’s horrible Leo.”

“Geez, I was only kidding.”

I felt a zap again, and I was back to one. I got off from Phoenix, but stumbled to the ground.

Jason lifted my head. “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t feel so good. I felt queasy, and my right side was paralyzed.

“Oh no,” Fern said. “Look at your arm.”

I looked; it has been splattered by the stymphalian bird’s dung. It looked blistered; my skin looks like it was peeling away.

I said weakly, “I don’t really feel so good.”

“Don’t worry”, Fern assured. “Satyrs have woodland magic. I can find a way to help you.”

I felt incredibly tired. I started to close my eyes, but Piper tried to keep me awake with her charmspeak.

“Stay awake, don’t sleep.”

But her charmspeak won’t do much good on me, just like when Clovis tried to make me sleep.

“Don’t you dare sleep, young lady.”

I chucked, “Young lady? You sound like my mother.”

I then drifted off to sleep.

I was on top a mountain. I was overlooking the view of the chain of mountains. Each peak had snow on the top kind of like coconut shavings. The sun was just coming up from the horizon. As soon as the light touched the mountain, the snow seemed to sparkle around me. It was beautiful, even if it was summer; there was still snow on the mountain.

A voice said behind me. “What are you waiting for?”

I turned around and the nine muses all stood before me. Each looked at me with hate in their eyes. I then saw Erato, Euterpe, and Terpsichore with duck tape covering their mouths. They’re eyes sting red, they looked like they’ve been crying.

The lady in pink glared at them, and then sneered at me. “This is their punishment for helping a fool like you.”

My stomach dropped, I was devastated. They had pity for me so they let me talk again. But all they got was a punishment.

The lady said, “What are you waiting for? Sing! Sing for your voice back.”

Another lady in magenta said. “Show us that what Apollo said is true.”

“Or is Apollo’s gift of singing had been wasted by a fool like you?” A lady in purple said.

I tried to open my mouth and sing. But my mouth has been covered by duck tape. I tried to take it out, but it stuck to my lips like glue. I felt my skin being pulled away with the duck tape.

“What are you doing?! Are you stalling?! The lady in pink raised her voice. “Sing, I order you to sing! Amuse us with your singing.”

But I couldn’t sing. Couldn’t they see it, my mouth was closed. I tried again; finally I got to take off the duck tape. I tried to sing but I still couldn’t open my mouth. I touched my lips and felt thread in some sort of pattern. I noticed a mirror on the ground; I picked it up and looked into it. My mouth had been stitched with black thread.

No, I thought. Why?

I looked at the muses with pleading eyes. The muse in pink showed me a needle and black thread in her hand.

She said to me, “Prepare for the worse. Your song is gone.”

She then cackled at me with an evil laugh. Five of her other muses started to laugh with her. Erato, Terpsichore, and Euterpe pulled off the duck tape and showed me their stitched up mouths. Then everything went black.

_________________________________________________________________

PIGEON POWER!!! Sorry, that was lame. How do you like the attack of the Stymphalian birds. Though I didn't use the same way to defeat them like in The Sea of Monsters. But, hey, it's just as effective. Leave comments and vote for this chapter. LATER