Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕋he bravest daughter of Aphrodite

There are dragons, and then there are drakons.

Drakons are several millennia older than dragons and much larger. They look like giant serpents. Most don't have wings. Most don't breathe fire (though some do). All are poisonous. All are immensely strong, with scales harder than titanium. Their eyes can paralyze you; not the turn-you-to-stone Medusa-type paralysis, but the oh-my-gods-that-big-snake-is-going-to-eat-me type of paralysis, which is just as bad.

There were drakon-fighting classes at camp, but there is no way to prepare yourself for a two-hundred-foot-long serpent as thick as a school bus slithering down the side of a building, its yellow eyes like searchlights and its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth big enough to chew elephants.

It almost made Nicki long for the flying pig.

Meanwhile, the enemy army advanced down Fifth Avenue. They'd done their best to push cars out of the way to keep the mortals safe, but that just made it easier for the enemies to approach. The Party Ponies swished their tails nervously. Chiron galloped up and down their ranks, shouting encouragement to stand tough and think about victory and root beer, but Nicki figured any second they would panic and run.

"I'll take the drakon." Percy's voice came out as a timid squeak. Then he yelled louder: "I'LL TAKE THE DRAKON! Everyone else, hold the line against the army!"

Nicki moved to Percy's side. For the first time, she wore an armoured helmet to cover her head, or maybe her panicking, bloodshot eyes.

"Will you help me?" Percy asked.

"That's what I do," she said miserably. "I help my friends."

Percy hesitated for a moment, before sighing. "Go invisible like at the labyrinth," he said. "Look for weak links in its armour while I keep it busy. Just be careful." Percy whistled. "Mrs O'Leary, heel!"

"ROOOF!" The hellhound leapt over a line of centaurs and gave Nicki and Percy a kiss that smelled suspiciously of pepperoni pizza.

"Annabeth!" Nicki waved her arms enthusiastically, trying to catch the blonde's attention. "Annabeth! I need you!" Annabeth ran toward Nicki, panic written across her features.

She panted slightly. "What? What's up?"

"Go invisible with me? I need help."

Annabeth nodded, sincerely. The ghost of a smile floated across her face. "Of course."

Percy drew his sword and together, they charged the monster.

The drakon was three stories above them, slithering sideways along with the building as it sized up Camp's forces. Wherever it looked, centaurs froze in fear.

From the north, the enemy army crashed into the Party Ponies, and their lines broke. The drakon lashed out, swallowing three Californian centaurs in one gulp before Percy could even get close.

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.

"YAAAH!" Percy plunged Riptide deep into the monster's left eye. The spotlight went dark. The drakon hissed and reared back to strike, but Percy rolled aside.