In Which Zachary Loses His Temper<br/><hr/><br/>The battle was unfolded in a blur for the young demi-god of Poseidon.  The hail of poisonous barbs rained down relentlessly and Zachary and Libby did their best to take up a defensive position to ward off most of them.  One of the barbs had shattered the water shield Zachary had put forth and the son of the sea god had taken to unleashing punishing streams of sea water that acted as both offensive and defensive weapons.  He repeatedly assaulted the manticore he had flung into the trees, further breaking its body and eventually sending it to wherever vanquished monsters went until they were "reborn" again.<br/><br/>He turned as Libby cried out in pain as one of the barbs struck her bodily and he wheeled around, bringing up one of his short swords just in time to intercept another flying projectile.  The half-blood's teeth grit and his eyes narrowed as the manticores started to close in, sensing the end and the time for feasting upon half-blood flesh at hand.  Zachary did not care any more as the rage began to well up inside him, the red haze of rage and destruction boiling up and claiming his rationality.<br/><br/>He turned his swords downward, point first, and brought them high overhead.<br/><br/>"I'll show you why they call my father the Earthshaker, you bastards!"<br/><br/>And then, he plunged them straight down into the rich earth at his feet, calling out and imploring the earth to shatter and rumble, to break apart and swallow the monstrosities that would dare challenge the might of the gods and their children who wielded it.<br/><br/>Before he could see any result, a pair of barbs shot forth and struck Zachary in the lower torso.  Pain, unimaginable and unbearable pain, flared to life in his body and all he could do was grunt and sag backwards, clutching onto the hilts of his planted blades as the poison started to take hold and the darkness began to rush in.