Percy Jackson: Trouble In The Land Beyond The Gods

The Grace-ful Way of Falling Unconscious

Jason's POV

I jumped to the side, rolling away from the Gorgon pouncing at the deck where I had stood. Drawing my gladius, I launch at the Gorgon; Blade vs. Beast.

I stab at her tail but it deflects off the beast's  scales, Green-Hair uses my distraction to her advantage and claws at my arm; it would've cut my chest but I had lifted my arm it time to avoid the near-fatal blow.

I hiss in pain as the claws tear through my skin.

In the corner of my eyes, I can see the others fighting the other gorgon and some griffons who had seemed to have come out of nowhere to aid the two sisters of Medusa. I watch Percy's griffon defend him as he battled Red-Hair (or Red-Snakes, if you know what I mean), swatting away anyone who tried to come close to the monster's friend.

Suddenly, Green-Hair strikes at my leg, knocking me down onto the wet wooden surface of the deck. Wait.. Wet? I roll over and scramble to my feet as the Gorgon's claws strike the place I fell a mere ten seconds ago, the grinding sound of claws scraping down wood ringing in my ears.

Seeing the opportunity, I stab my Imperial Gold sword through Green-Hair while she was still stuck to the ground. She disintegrates into golden dust and the wind blows it away.

I run to the others and help them against the group of griffons, lightning dancing in my eyes.

I soon realise who is causing the deck to get wet as I see Thalia knocking down griffon after griffon, rain pouring down around her. I stab at a griffon and sent lightning down on another. Both winged beasts are soon only piles of golden dust, soon blown away by the wind howling around Thalia and I.

I feel drained from the bolt I had summoned, the ache in my arm feeling more painful by the second. I glance down at it as I slice through another griffon.

I nearly did a double-take at what I saw.

The skin surrounding my wound was red and blotchy, though the blood spilling out covered most of this. Green streaks shot through my veins like the edge jagged glass, confirming my suspicions on why it hurt so badly: It was poisoned. If I had to guess, I would say it was Minosian poison, from the ancient lands, it would keep the inflicted person in agonising pain until they begged for death - the death that came two days later, should my knowledge serve me right.

This was what my mind processed in less than a second, immediately focusing on the threats in front of me. I stabbed and hacked at the griffons, relying on my hard worn-in battle instincts to warn me if I were to be attacked from behind. I skidded on the wet deck, my gladius cleaving through a griffon as I slid beneath it.

Golden dust stuck to my wet body and let me tell you, the smell of wet monster dust covering your body is not a nice cologne.

I stumbled as I stood on the now monster-free deck, vision blurring and head pounding. I fell back down onto floor.

I heard Piper call out, "Jason!"

It was at that moment I blacked out.