lacuna [connor stoll]

XXXI. Let's Fight Stuff

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: LETS FIGHT STUFF!

In what felt like an instant, they were surrounding by monsters.

Nico di Angelo was on the front lines with the Greeks, slashing his way through a crowd of two-headed men. A few feet away, Reyna sat astride a new pegasus, her sword drawn. She shouted orders at the legion, and the Romans obeyed without question, as if she'd never been away.

Greeks and Romans fought side by side to defeat the growing and seemingly never-ending army of monsters. The vast army of monsters spread across the hills – cynocephali, two-headed men, wild centaurs, ogres and others she couldn't even name – surrounding two tiny islands of demigods. At the crest of Half-Blood Hill, gathered at the feet of the Athena Parthenos, was the main force of Camp Half-Blood along with the First and Fifth Cohorts, rallied around the golden eagle of the legion. The other three Roman cohorts were in a defensive formation several hundred yards away and seemed to be taking the brunt of the attack.

Connor and Ellie pushed their way to the front of the crowd, finding a spot beside Will. She watched as Piper McLean and Jason Grace floated to the ground.

"About time!" Reyna called. "Glad you could join us!"

Piper grinned. "We had some giants to kill!"

"Excellent!" Reyna returned the smile. "Help yourself to some barbarians."

"Why, thank you!"

The two girls launched into battle side by side.

Nico nodded to Jason as if they'd just seen each other five minutes ago, then went back to turning two-headed men into no-headed corpses. "Good timing. Where's the ship?"

Jason pointed. The Argo II streaked across the sky in a ball of fire, shedding burning chunks of mast, hull and armament.

"Gods," Nico said. "Is everyone okay?"

"Leo..." Jason's voice broke. "He said he had a plan."

The comet disappeared behind the western hills. Jason waited with dread for the sound of an explosion, but he heard nothing over the roar of battle.

"Leo?" Ellie demanded, looking to the boy. "You let Leo stay on that thing?"

Nico met Jason's eyes. "He'll be fine."

"Sure." Was all they got in response.

"But just in case...For Leo."

"For Leo," Jason agreed. They charged into the fight.

Ellie glanced to Connor. He had a determined look on his face, his eyebrows scrunched up and his blue eyes turned a dark sapphire color.

She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"You ready for this?" Connor asked, squinting at the battle.

"Are any of us?"

He shrugged, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Stay near me."