Memories (Percy Jackson)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Needless to say, we waited for a really long time.  It was kind of hard to sit next to Leo, seeing he insisted on sitting there playing with pieces of scrap metal for two hours straight.  

I still was having trouble wrapping my mind around he fact that Annabeth hadn’t told Nico about Bianca.  That just seemed so unlike her.  I mean, obviously I hadn’t known her for long, but she was one of the most level-headed people I’d ever met.  I remembered what Eros had told me, Don’t trust the new friend.  Could it be...?  

No.  I couldn’t afford to think that way.  That was the easiest way for me to tear myself apart. 

I was debating running out into the gloom and getting Nico at that point, but just as I was about to get up, a figure appeared on the horizon.  

“Oh, thank the gods!”  I exclaimed, and was in the midst of jogging over to him, when Annabeth yelled from behind me.  

“Cyrena, NO!”  She spoke too late. 

 A wave of green fire exploded all over my body, and immediately the thin veil of oxygen becoming a problem at that time.  I held my breath for as long as I could, but I could feel my vision getting blurry, losing air.  

I heard a muffled scream, and although half-unconscious, anger surged through my body.  There was no way I was going to let anyone hurt my friends.  

Before I could make a courageous move and completely try and move while my entire boy was on fire, it was suddenly doused.  I could breathe again.  My body was no longer in screaming agony.  

My thoughts returned to me, and I was aware of my surroundings.  I saw Percy outreaching his arm to me, apparently being the one who ended my pain.  

The figure, obviously, was not Nico by any means.  In fact, the sight of it made me want to burst into tears and run.  It was a dragon.  And no, I don’t mean like a little cute Norbert dragon from Harry Potter.  I mean like, a gigantic, 20 foot tall beast with black scales that looked as hard as diamonds, and 2 foot long teeth that grinned at me with a snarl.  

It didn’t make any more moves. I tried to not look at his mouth, in fear of getting blasted with fire again.  The dragon was silent, sizing me up.  I gulped was suddenly aware of Percy, Leo, and Annabeth behind me, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.  

I heard Leo whimper.  Something about Festus?  The mere sound that came out of Leo’s mouth triggered something in the dragon, probably, Oh, yeah.  Forgot I was about to eat them.   

It’s mouth began to glow like hot green coals, and I realized he was heating up for another blast, although he was underwater, which made absolutely no sense. 

My senses kicked in. I dodged the dragon’s maw as he snapped down to rip my head off.  

“He spits greek fire!  Don’t get anywhere near his mouth!”  Annabeth yelled from next to me.  

Apparently, Greek fire was pretty scary, because even Leo, who was immune to fire seemed to be trying to avoid the dragon.  Taking a better look at him, his eyes looked sad and reproachful, like hurting this dragon was the last thing he wanted to do.  

Percy expanded Riptide and charged, sliding under the dragon like the water was propelling him, which it probably was.  He stabbed the dragon under its’ giant belly, but instead of crumbling to dust, it roared in indignation, attempting to snap at Percy.  

Percy but some kind of protective bubble around himself, which looked pretty inpenetretable.  Meanwhile, Annabeth stabbed the monster from the other end, while he or she was preoccupied with trying to kill Percy.