Indigo Eyes

Chapter 124

 The Hephaestus cabin was out of Greek fire. The Apollo cabin and the Hunters were scrounging for arrows. Most of them had already ingested so much ambrosia and nectar that they didn't dare take any more. They had sixteen campers, fifteen Hunters and half a dozen satyrs left in fighting shape. The rest had taken refuge on Olympus. The Party Ponies tried to form ranks, but they staggered and giggled and they all smelled like root beer. The Texans were head-butting the Coloradoans. The Missouri branch was arguing with Illinois. The chances were pretty good the whole army would end up fighting each other rather than the enemy. Not to mention that Cressida was partly panicking because she couldn't find Pollux and she could only hope that he was up on Olympus.

And then the best thing of all was another one of Rachel's visions because it had to do with the spy. Kronos was sending a final surprise. A Lydian drakon, the one monster they couldn't kill because it was only able to be killed by a child of Ares and they were a little short on those.

And no matter how many drakon-fighting classes Cressida had taken, nothing really quite prepared you for facing a fifty-metre-long serpent that was as thick as a school bus and slithering down the side of a blinding with beady yell eyes and teeth big enough to bite an elephant in half.

"I'LL TAKE THE DRAKON! Everyone else, hold the line against the army!" Percy yelled before he turned to Cressida who was rotating her bad arm as she drew her spear. "Will you help me?"

She leaned on her spear as she contemplated it. "Hmm, well, I don't think I have anything better to do. And I'm fairly certain that the boy I like is going to get himself in trouble again so that means more points for me."

Percy's cheeks went red and it wasn't because he was tired before he stomped his foot on the ground. "Ok, first, that is not happening and second, stop trying to embarrass me before we go into battle."

"And take away my fun? Never. Especially when you make it so easy," she grinned as she tapped his nose and he stuck his tongue out at her before they noticed Annabeth walking towards them, her owl helmet over her head.

Cressida offered her, her hand. "Together?" she asked.

"We started this together, we end it together," Annabeth said and she took Cressida's hand and squeezed as she and Percy shared a nod.

"Go invisible," Percy said. "Look for weak links in its armour while I keep it busy. Just be careful."

Annabeth nodded as she pulled off her helmet and stuffed it on Cressida's head.

"I hate helmets," Cressida whined.

"All the more reason for you to wear one," Annabeth retorted as she put her Yankees cap on and disappeared.

Percy then tapped Cressida's spear with his sword and the two of them charged the monster.

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The drakon was three stories or more above them and it was quite an accurate representation of their chances against the creature.

Mrs O'Leary launched herself through the air – a deadly black shadow with teeth and claws. Normally, a pouncing hellhound is a terrifying sight, but next to the drakon, Mrs O'Leary looked like a child's night-night doll.

Her claws raked harmlessly off the drakon's scales. She bit the monster's throat, but couldn't make a dent. Her weight, however, was enough to knock the drakon off the side of the building. It flailed awkwardly and crashed to the sidewalk – hellhound and serpent twisting and thrashing. The drakon tried to bite Mrs O'Leary, but she was too close to the serpent's mouth. Poison spewed everywhere, melting centaurs into dust along with quite a few monsters, but Mrs O'Leary weaved around the serpent's head, scratching and biting. And with a boost of Achilles strength, Percy copied the move he'd seen Cressida do with a grapevine. He cupped his hands together as she put her foot in them and he launched her into the air.