BLACK RAVEN [ piper mcLean ]

Sandstorms

ALI KNEW THIS was probably the wrong decision to fight alongside Percy. But she didn't really care all too much. Percy had his sword, whereas Alison was weaponless. She had a plan though. After hearing her procraphcy, Ali knew she was probably destined to die . . . again. She had a plan this time. So hopefully nothing went wrong!

Percy rolled under Antaeus' legs and stabbed him in the back of the thigh.

"Argggh!" he yelled. But where blood should've come out, there was a spout of sand, like I'd busted the side of an hourglass. It spilled into the dirt floor, and the dirt collected around his leg, almost like a cast. When the dirt fell away, the wound was gone.

He charged again, this time towards Ali. She dodged sideways this time, grabbed Percy's blade and and stabbed him under the arm. Riptide's blade was buried to the hilt in his ribs. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was wrenched out of my hand when the giant turned, and she was thrown across the arena, weaponless yet again.

Antaeus bellowed in pain. Percy and Ali waited for him to disintegrate. No monster had ever withstood a direct hit from my sword like that. The celestial bronze blade had to be destroying his essence. But Antaeus groped for the hilt, pulled out the sword, and tossed it behind him. More snad poured from the wound, but again the earth rose up to cover him. Dirt coated his body all the way to his shoulders. As soon as the dirt spilled away, Antaeus was fine.

Ali was sick of this. She picked herself up, focused her energy into the dirt and sand that had spilled away, and charged.

"Now you see why I never lose, demigod!" Antaeus gloated. "Come here and let me crush you. I'll make it quick!" He was speaking to Percy.

Alison was sneaking behind him. Her forearms outstretched. The burning feeling was back in her body, flowing through for veins. But she didn't really care all too much. She could see the black burn running further up her arm, but she ignored it. 

With every step she took, the sand grew at her every move. Growing and growing until it was like a snowstorm of stand, swirling around her.

"Puny boy," he said. "Not a worthy son of the sea god!"

She locked eyes with Percy, both of them seeming to have the same idea.

Percy counted down to three, sending her a small nod for when to put her plan into action.

1 . . . 

2 . . .

3 . . . 

Alison surged her arms forward. The sand rushing forward and surrounding Antaeus in a pit of rage. His screams and cries were drowned out by Ali's own cries. The pain was starting to become a bit too much, her body was burning. But she didn't care. She let the sand indulge him, making sure he couldn't see very well so Percy could do his part.

Percy charged straight ahead, crouching low so he was harder to see and didn't get hit by the sand storm. While he was stooping, ready to catch him like a grounder, Percy jumped for all he was worth—kicking off his forearm, scrambling up his shoulder like it was a ladder, placing his shoe on his head. He did the natural thing. He straightened up indignantly and yelled "HEY!" Percy pushed off, using his force to catapult me toward the ceiling. Percy caught the top of a chain, and the skulls and hooks jangled beneath him. Percy drew Riptide and sawed off the chain next to him.

"Come down here, coward!" Antaeus bellowed, waving his arms around frantically, trying to get the sand away. He tried to grab Ali, but she just reached out and kicked him square in the back.

Percy yelled, "Come up and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?"

"He's more deformed and delusional don't you think." Called back Ali.

He howled and made another grab for her. He caught a chain and tried to pull himself up. While he was struggling, Percy lowered my sawed-off chain, hook first. It took him two tries, but finally he snagged Antaeus's loincloth.

"WAAA!" he yelled, still being overwhelmed with the sand. Quickly Percy slipped the free chain through the fastening link on my own chain, pulled it taut, and secured it the best he could. Antaeus tried to slip back to the ground, but his but stayed suspended by his loincloth. He had to hold on to the other chains with both hands to avoid getting flipped upside down. While Antaeus cursed and flailed, he scrambled around the chains, swinging and cutting like a lunatic. He made loops with hooks and metal links. I don't know how I did it. My mom always said I have a gift for getting stuff tangled up. Plus I was desperate to save my friends. He dropped to the floor, panting and sweaty. His hands were raw from climbing.

Ali's plan had mostly been to distract him enough for Percy to secure the trap. Once she realised he'd succeeded, Ali dropped her arms, letting the sand slowly drop to the floor. 

She was exhausted from using her powers again. She was surprised she'd been able to use them without shriveling up like last time. But she knew that the consequences this time would be a whole lot more worse then they had been before.

She saw Percy stabbing the giant in the stomach. He bellowed, and sand poured out, his dream! But he was too far up to touch the earth, and the dirt did not rise to hep him. Antaeus just dissolved, pouring out bit by bit, until there was nothing left but empty swinging chains, a really big loincloth on a hook, and a bunch of grinning skulls dancing above me like they had finally had something to smile about.

"Jackson!" Luke yelled. "I should have killed you long ago!"

"You tired," Percy reminded him. "Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I'm the winner."

He did just what they expected. He said, "Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I'm feeling merciful today, I'll have you killed quickly."

Alison's vision was already fading quickly, her body compleatly burning up.

The very last thing she remembered was Percy blowing a whistle.

Then it all went dark again. And the booming voice of Hades returned.

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