Dreams of Power

by XTheSonofHadesX

Percy and Nico have been separated by dreams, time, and tradition. However, to face an immortal king gone mad, addicted to Dreams of Power, they will need to come together to restore order to their home. And, if Nico hopes to succeed, he must stop Percy from succumbing to those same Dreams. Discontinued.

1. Chapter 1

So, as you may have noticed, this is not Children of Loss or Shadows of an Empire. That would be because Shadows isn't finished yet. I was at a friend's house for New Year's Eve. But it should be out no later than Sunday. I'm trying to put more effort into writing my chapters, and it's taking longer to finish them. This story is also one of the reasons I'm taking longer to write. Anyways, I didn't want to go an entire week without posting something, so I decided to post this. But as I said, you'll also get Shadows by Sunday.

So, I've been working on this for a month now. As you can tell, this is a very long first chapter. That's because it was originally two chapters, but they ended up getting merged into one. I'm not sure what to say about this really. I'm also in a fantasy kick, and I don't know why. But this is going to be another long fic, as well as another heavily sexual fic. However, it'll be different from how I typically go about getting Percy and Nico together, but you'll have to wait and see what I mean by that.

And, finally, I'm not going to be updating this story like my other ones. It's posting will be completely random. It probably will take up my Sunday slot, but I have no idea how many times a month it will get updated. It could be every other week, every three weeks, or once a month. Once Tale finishes, it'll probably become a full-time fic, but for now it will come at random intervals. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

Warning: Language, sex, alcohol, death, violence, blood, possible gore. I might be forgetting something, but I like to cover all my bases when I put out the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.

Chapter 1

The wind howled through the night sky, whipping at the rider's black hair. A young boy, no older than ten, sat on his stolen horse. The young rider turned his head to peer behind him with dark brown eyes. The village and soldiers were far behind him, but they would surely not stay that way for long. He reached behind him to touch the sack that was strapped to his back. His eyes darted back to the forest before he spurred his horse to gallop faster.

As the wind picked up, his horse gave a snort. He slowed down and patted his horse's mane before sniffing the air himself. They were closing in on him. He needed to hurry to the rendezvous point. He whispered into the horse's ear and, once again, they were shooting through the woods.

The young rider was suddenly facing down two spearman who had come from behind two large trees. His horse reared back, nearly knocking him off. A third man stepped out from behind a tree. The rider let out a sigh of relief as he climbed off of his mount. He began walking towards the third man, but the spearman crossed their weapons, blocking his path.

"It's alright," the man said. "Do you have it, child?"

The raven haired youth smirked and reached over his shoulder to touch the sack on his back. "Some welcome you give, Terminus," he replied.

"My apologizes, but beyond myself, no one knows you were our informant. I half expected you to betray us."

"I am not my father," the rider whispered.

"That has yet to be seen."

The brown-eyed youth frowned at the older man. Terminus held out his hand and he frowned deeper. He let out a sigh and reached behind him to begin pulling the sack off his back. Everyone froze when a twig snapped in the distance.

"You led us into a trap," Terminus hissed.

The rider quickly shook his head. "No, I didn't. They must have followed me from Ismir."

Two arrows flew out of the dark woods and plunged into the spearmen's necks. "We must run," growled Terminus. "Do not make me regret trusting you."

Terminus and the rider took off running into the dark woods. They skidded to a halt as fire erupted in front of them. The rider placed a protective hand over the sack on his back. They turned to find a tall man in blood red robes standing a few feet away.

His shoulder length black hair was darker than the night itself. His eyes blazed a bright yellow that shined eerily in the moonlight. He had thick bushy eyebrows and milky white pale skin. And the dark circles around his eyes, as well as the blackness around his mouth, gave him a demonic look.

"Ah, there you are, Nico," the man said with a sinister grin, showing off his sharp teeth. "I always knew you would be a disappointment. I just didn't think you would be a bigger one than your father was." He held out a pale hand with sharp black nails. "I believe you have something of the king's."

Giant brutes of men known as Titans emerged from the woods to stand behind the robbed man. "It was never his to possess," Terminus said defiantly.

"Give it to me, and I'll let you live," the man said, his grin dropping.

"Do you really expect us to trust the word of a sorcerer, Minos?" Nico said, sticking out his tongue at the dark man.

Minos's eyes narrowed at Nico. With a flick of his wrist, Terminus was launched into the air, crashing into a tree with a sickening crack. Nico pursed his lips as he took a step back and drew his sword. Minos pointed a black nailed finger at Nico. "Take it from him," he ordered the brutes behind him.

Nico raised his blade to defend as one of the Titans approached. He quickly rolled to the side, keeping a hand over the sack still strapped to his back. He sliced his sword across the Titan's leg, making him howl in pain. Nico stood up and jammed the sword into the injured Titan's back.

He grunted as he jerked it out and countered a blow from a second Titan, only for it to knock him to the ground. The Titan leapt forward and kicked Nico, sending him sliding across the ground. He grunted and rolled into a crouching position. His eyes blazed defiantly as he glared at Minos, wiping at his cracked lip. He attempted to roll forward, but the giant grabbed him by the throat and tossed him backwards. Nico stumbled back onto his feet, readying his sword.

Minos smirked at his defiance. He raised a hand and shouted, "Fulminare!"

Lightning shot from Minos's hand and struck Nico in the chest. Nico doubled over in pain as the electric current ran through his body. When he hit the ground, a large red stone rolled out of his sack. Minos walked forward and kicked him onto his back.

"Little boys shouldn't play with such things, Nico. You're no warrior, not yet, anyways," Minos sneered. "I don't know how you managed to steal this, but it won't be happening again." He smirked down at the boy before walking over to the red stone and carefully picking it up.

His smirk slowly slid off his face as he looked it over. He hissed a curse under his breath and the stone lost its shiny texture.

"This is nothing but an enchanted stone! Do you think me a conjuror of cheap tricks, brat?" He shouted, throwing the rock down next to Nico's head. "Where is it?"

Nico smirked up at Minos. "Poor Minos. How will you ever tell the king...that you failed?" The raven haired child panted out.

Minos sneered at him before reaching down and sinking one of his black nails into Nico's chest. The young boy began writhing in pain. Minos frowned as the boy's eyes rapidly flashed back and forth between their normal dark brown and a bright red.

His evil grin slowly spread out across his lips as he pulled his hand away. "Well, perhaps I won't be coming back empty-handed after all. Isn't that right...Rider?"

---

Far to the north, in a village called Mitra, another young boy with black hair was waking up. Percy sat up in bed with a long yawn, stretching his arms over his head. He swung his naturally tan legs over the edge of the bed and scrunched his toes before following his nose towards the kitchen.

His mother, Sally, sat a loaf of bread and a clay cup on the table in front of him. She smiled at him and ruffled his bed-ridden dark hair. He scowled at her with sea-green eyes, though it only managed to earn him a laugh from his mother.

He smiled brightly as the front door opened and his father came into their home. The boy was the spitting image of his father. They both had hair as black as the night itself, though Percy's hair hung down into eyes, where as his father let his hair hang down to his shoulders. Percy had also inherited his father's sea-green eyes and naturally tan skin. While Poseidon had a large and imposing muscular stature, he looked younger than many of his coevals in the village. Over the years, Percy noticed that the man didn't seem to age much. Percy also had a dazzling smile to match that of his father's, and like his father, he used it to get out of trouble with his mother.

Though, Poseidon had a neatly trimmed beard, and Percy, obviously wasn't able to grow one at the time. One other thing that Poseidon had that Percy didn't was a thin scar that ran across his back. Whenever Percy would ask about it, his father would just brush it off and make up some tall tale about how he got the thing, and he never got the same story twice.

Poseidon walked over to Sally and kissed her on the cheek. He stood behind the woman for a moment, whispering in her ear. He towered over the woman nearly by two heads. Percy had always been tall for his age, but his father still dwarfed him in size.

"So, what do you say, Percy, want to go get some practice in today?" Poseidon asked, sitting down at the table with Percy.

Sally turned around and narrowed her eyes at her husband. "You both have chores to be doing. And I don't like you teaching him sword fighting," she chided her husband.

Poseidon grinned at her. "Sweetie, it could very well save his life one day."

Sally sighed and shook her head. "Chores first, then you can take him off to get himself killed," she mumbled.

Poseidon let out a loud laugh before smiling at Percy. "You heard your mother, off with you."

Percy grinned back at his father before shooting away from the table. His mother stepped away from her cooking pot to wrap up some potatoes and carrots. She then fished out a few coins and handed it all to Percy. "Now, I want you to trade this for some meat, not anything else that some of the traders might try selling you," the woman said, giving him a playful stern look.

"Yes, mother," he mumbled, kicking at the floor. He made a face when she leaned down to kiss him on the top of his head. He scowled up at her while grabbing his satchel from its hanging place by the door before opening the door and disappearing from the house.

His parents had built their home on the outskirts of the small village, so it always took him a while to get into village. While his father was a friendly man, he always said he just preferred the solitude of living outside of the village. He had married Percy's mother and the two had ended up starting a farm together.

When he finally managed to get into the village, business had already started bustling for the day. He frowned as one merchant waved a dead chicken in front of his face. They had their own chickens, but they were usually used for eggs, rather than eating.

His eyes widened and a grin slid across his face as he stopped in front of the blacksmith. His eyes danced with wonder as he looked over all of the blades that had been laid out. A chuckling came from the back, and soon, a man walked away from the forge. "A little too big for you, lad. Maybe when you're older, Percy," the blacksmith chuckled.

Percy frowned and turned to continue on his way, when he bumped into something. He looked up and his eyes widened as he was met by the scowling face of a soldier. "Watch where you're going, brat," the man hissed at him. The blacksmith frowned at the soldier, but made no attempt to say anything as the man and another soldier walked closer to Percy.

The green-eyed young boy yelped as he was shoved down by the soldiers. He glared at them as they laughed and walked away. He let out a sigh as he picked himself back up, making sure to grab his sack of vegetables before walking off again.

Percy made his way across the village to where to butcher kept his shop. He slid the door open and stepped inside. He sat his sack on the counter and pulled out his coins. The bulky man behind the counter slung his cleaver into the counter and smirked down at Percy.

"Come to pick up your mother's order, eh, Percy?" The butcher asked, already retrieving a package of wrapped up meat. Percy nodded at him when he returned to the counter. "There ya are, lad."

"Thanks," Percy said, flashing his bright smile. He slid the purchased meat into his satchel and tossed the butcher a salute before exiting the man's shop.

Percy began whistling to himself as he marched himself back to his parents' house. He decided to take a shortcut today, which passed by the local tavern. A few denizens were seated outside the establishment, sharing the latest gossip.

"So, did you hear?" One of them started.

"Hear what?" A woman asked grumpily.

"The king was robbed."

Percy slowed down when the man's words reached his ears. Never in Percy's lifetime had anyone ever broken into the Imperial Palace successfully. He grinned mischievously and crept into some bushes beside the tavern.

"What did the thief steal?" A chubby man asked before belching loudly.

The man sharing the gossip shrugged. "No one knows. Word is they caught the thief, but whatever it was that was stolen wasn't on the fellow."

"Must have been important," the chubby man replied.

The first man burst out laughing. "Not that it does him any good, I guess."

"Must not have been as good as the last thief," the woman said. Percy frowned to himself. Someone had broken into the palace before?

"Yeah, well, I still think that last time was just a rumor. People just trying to get some morale up."

Percy sighed as they fell quiet. He climbed out of the bushes and headed for home once again. He would have to remember to ask his father about that rumor. As he walked, he couldn't help but imagine what it was that the thief had stolen, and what the now captured guy had done with it. What could it have been?

When he reached home, his father was already out in the fields tending to the crops. He climbed over the fence and crouched low in order to sneak up on the tall man. He grinned as he neared his father. When he leapt at his father, the man spun around and caught him in the air with a laugh.

"Nice try, Percy," Poseidon laughed as he sat the boy down. "Ready to go train?"

"You bet, dad," Percy said with a grin.

---

Percy's eyes snapped open when there was a knock at the front door. He climbed out of bed and crept over to his door. He slowly cracked the wooden door open and peered through the cracked opening. His father was at the door talking to someone. His mother was standing a few feet behind Poseidon, whispering to her husband.

"What are they doing here?" Sally hissed.

"Sorry, m'lady. But we would not have come if it were not dire circumstances," a man from outside said, his voice thick and deep with an accent from the east. Poseidon stepped aside and gestured into the house for the men to enter.

Three men walked into the house, one with a large wrapped up object in his hands. All three of them were tall muscular men, but not as tall as Poseidon. Their faces, along with their entire bodies, were covered in silver chainmail. There were openings for their eyes, but all of their other facial features were hidden behind the metal. Long curved swords hung from all of their waists. They looked tan, from what Percy could make out, like they spent a lot of time in the sun.

The one carrying the large object stepped forward and held it out towards Poseidon. "Why did you bring that here, Janus?" Poseidon asked, staring down at the object.

The man called Janus sighed, but did not retract the object. "The other one was stolen," he said.

"Who stole it?"

"An informant inside Kronos's castle. We assume the informant was successful, but they ended up getting caught. Though, from the other egg was not found."

Poseidon rubbed his face. "I told you, I have a family now. I got you that one, and I expected you to deal with finding its Rider."

Janus gave Percy's father a harsh stare. "You know why I brought this here. He is one of the best possible candidates, since he is your son."

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, but took the wrapped up object from Janus. "And what about the informant and other egg? Without the informant, we can't find it."

Janus nodded. "That was the other reason I came to you," he replied.

Sally shook her head. "No, I can't let you take my husband out there to get himself killed. He has a family now. He has a son. His part of your war is over," she jumped in.

"My lady, I would not ask this of him if I did not have any other choice. I would prefer him here, teaching his son for what may be to come." His eyes flickered from Sally back over to Poseidon. "But, I cannot pass up an opportunity like this."

Poseidon's lips thinned as he stared down at the object in his hands, deeply contemplating his options. "Sally-" Poseidon began.

"No," Sally stopped him.

"I need to do this, Sally. We could have both of them. We could finally have a chance at winning this."

"I thought this was behind you, Poseidon." She frowned at her husband. "What about your son?"

Poseidon kissed her forehead. "I promise that I'll be back. I won't abandon him." He handed the wrapped up object to her. "Keep this safe for me until I get back."

She hesitantly took the item from her husband. Percy's eyes widened as Poseidon headed towards him. He scrambled back towards his bed and got under the covers. He cracked an eye open when he heard the door to his parents' room open. He heard his father scrounge around in their room before exiting and shutting the door.

The door to his room opened, and Percy shut his eyes. Poseidon edged closer to Percy's bed and kneeled down. "Percy," Poseidon whispered. He chuckled when Percy didn't move. "Percy, I know you're awake."

Percy pouted and opened his eyes. "Dad, where are you going?" He asked. He looked down to see his father carrying a sheathed sword. The sword's hilt was silver, with a red ruby in the center on both sides. The boy's eyes flickered back up to meet his father's with a look of fear.

"Percy, everything will be alright. Be good for your mother while I'm gone. I promise not to be gone too long, but I have some things I need to take care of.

Percy reluctantly nodded. Poseidon leaned in and pulled him into a hug. "Bye, dad," Percy whispered as his father pulled back. He chewed on his lip as he watched his father walk out the door. He squeezed his sheets when he heard the front door close, followed by sobbing from his mother.

After an hour or two had passed, Percy still hadn't been able to go back to sleep. He crept out of bed and peered into the main room of the house, finding it empty. He frowned, though, when his ears picked up on a thumping noise.

He crept out of his room and followed the noise to the kitchen. He frowned at several sacks of flour. The noise was coming from there, he was sure of it. He grunted and dragged one of the sacks away from the others. His eyes widened as he recognized the object lying in the middle of all of the flour. It was the object those men had brought.

He got down on the ground and crawled over to it. He slowly reached out and pulled the large object in front of his knees, his eyes growing in excitement. He slowly unwrapped the item and his mouth slowly slid open. He let the cloth drop as he stared at a large blue and white stone. The white on the egg seemed to float across the stone's surface like the clouds in the sky. It had a scaly-like texture to it and was shaped like an egg.

The thumping noise was very loud now as he stared down at the stone. His eyes slowly widened as he realized it was a heartbeat, and it actually matched his own. He slowly reached out and touched it. His eyes grew wide as a surge of heat coursed through his body.

Unbeknownst to him, his eyes began flickering from their normal green to one being blue and the other being white. He held the stone as it began radiating a faint glow. It was so warm to the touch. What was this thing? His eyes grew wide with panic when he heard movement from his mother's room.

He sat the stone back onto the cloth and his eyes shifted back to their sea-green color. He quickly wrapped the thing back up and slid it back behind the flour. He pushed the flour he had moved earlier back in front of the pile and moved to sit at the table just as his mother's door opened.

She let out a yawn as she entered the room, stopping when she noticed Percy sitting at the table. "You're up early, Perseus," she said.

"Couldn't sleep," Percy mumbled.

Sally nodded and walked past him. She got him a cup and sat it down in front of him. "I'll go get you some milk."

Percy smiled at her as she fetched a bucket. His mother was a pretty woman, probably the most beautiful in the entire village. Her voice was always soothing and calming, and was one of Percy's oldest memories. Her face was usually adorned by one of the brightest and warmest smiles Percy had ever seen. She had long straight brown hair with a few grey strands in it, unlike his father. Though, she didn't look that old, but it somehow felt different from his father's youthful appearance. Her eyes were a sparkly blue, which would often change in the light.

She tossed him a smile before leaving the house. Percy's smile dropped as he looked back over to the flour. He could still hear that thumping noise, and he wondered if it would ever stop.

For the rest of the day, he spent his time helping his mother tend to the crops and take care of their animals. It was relatively quiet since his father wasn't there, but his mother tried to keep him occupied the best she could. He helped his mother prepare supper, while trying to ignore the thumping noise coming from the flour. He missed his father, even if the man had only been gone for a day. All Percy's life, the man had been there, and now Percy couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see his father again.

That night, Percy once again found himself unable to sleep. He lay in bed, glaring up at the ceiling. The heartbeat noise still hadn't stopped, but when he had left the house, he hadn't been able to hear it. But now that he lay there in bed, it was tormenting him. And the strangest part was that it sounded as if it had gotten louder.

He covered his face with his palms and let out a groan. When was his father getting back? Maybe he could make the noise stop. He huffed and rolled onto his side so that his back was facing the door. Maybe if he ignored it, it would go away.

But as the time slowly crept by, Percy still heard the thumping noise. He growled to himself and sat up in bed, tossing the covers off his body. Percy opened his door and silently walked into the kitchen. He glared at the sacks of flour before walking over to them. He dragged the sack of flour in the front away again and stood in front of the wrapped up stone, placing his hands on his hips with a huff.

He pulled the stone out and sat cross-legged in front of it. "Can't you be quiet?" He whispered. "I'm trying to sleep."

As if it heard him, the stone began to glow. His eyes shifted back to one being white and the other being blue. His eyes widened as the stone began to rock on the floor. He let out a small yelp and scrambled backwards when a portion of the stone cracked.

The stone rolled around on the floor before standing straight up and shattering. In its place lay a small creature that Percy had never seen before. Like the stone it came out of, it was a mix of blue and white. The majority of it was blue, with its belly and the underside of its wings being white. It looked like a winged lizard to Percy. It had a long scaly neck, and four legs with sharp claws on each one. It had bat-like wings that looked to be about as big as the creature itself. Two small white stubs poked out of the top of its head. It stared up at Percy with two sapphire colored eyes.

Percy's eyes widened further when it stood up on its hind legs and flapped its wings, sending a small breeze in Percy's direction. It made a tiny growling noise and bounced around on the floor in front of Percy.

Percy jumped to his feet when the thing jumped at him. He scrambled to the door and flung it open, running out into the night. He ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back. But what about his mother? He couldn't just leave her there with that thing.

Percy skidded to a halt and turned around, ready to go back and save his mother, when he was tackled by a flying blue and white blur latching onto his face. He screamed and scrambled away, but the creature flew off the ground and latched onto the back of his shirt.

Percy panicked and took off running towards the woods, the thing still clutching his shirt. He scrambled through the dark woods until his body slowed from exhaustion. He panted as he bent over and tried to catch his breath. The winged lizard made a squeaking growl as it climbed onto Percy's shoulder. Percy yelped and dove onto the ground. The creature let go of him and glided down to the ground. It tilted its head to the side curiously as it stared Percy in the eye.

"Wh-what are you?" Percy asked as he scrambled away from it.

It made another playful growling sound and crouched low to the ground while expanding its wings.

"You...can't be real. You can't be a dragon, can you?" Percy shook his head. "Only the king has a dragon."

The creature stood up on all fours and let out a screech. Percy swallowed before finally looking around them. His shoulders slumped as he realized he was lost. He couldn't even see anything through the woods. He must have run to the very center of Errinvale Forest.

Percy wrapped his arms around himself and tried to look up at the night sky, but the trees were too thick. He could barely see the winged lizard a mere foot in front of him with such little lighting. He watched curiously as the supposed dragon let out a quiet yawn before lying down and wrapping its tail around itself.

Percy's eyes began to droop and he too let out a yawn. As if time had slowed down for him, he fell backwards onto the grass. He stared up at the trees as they began to sway and blur in front of his eyes. A chill ran across his body and his breathing slowly became shallow. Percy's eyes finally drifted closed as he gave in to fatigue. All around the boy and his new dragon, the trees closed in around them, hiding them from the rest of the world.

---

Nico quietly sat cross-legged on the floor of an incense-filled dining hall, not bothering to touch the food on the table in front of him. To Nico's right, sat Kronos, though the king was hidden behind a veil. On the other side of Kronos, sat Minos, who was making sure to keep an eye on Nico. Right next to Nico, sat a tall blond young man of eighteen. His golden hair fell down to his shoulders, while his bangs hung into the young man's green eyes. He had perfectly tanned bronze skin. His eyes were pure green, except for two black slits.

Nico sighed and looked back at the girls and boys that danced for the royal court's entertainment. They all dressed in provocative fashion that did little to hide the skin beneath their clothing. Bells were strapped to their wrists, while the girls had veils covering their mouths. They weaved their hands through the air in slow provocative movements, though it did nothing for Nico due to his young age.

He looked down at his plate when something was dropped on it. He frowned down at several pieces of pork that were now sitting on his plate before scowling at the blond beside him. "You need to eat," he said in a monotone voice.

"I'd rather die," retorted Nico.

The green of the blond's eyes seemed to blaze like fire. "Not until you tell us where the egg is."

"I'm not going to do that."

The blond's nostrils flared, causing smoke to shoot out. A deep rumbling growl emitted from the blond's throat as he crawled towards Nico. Nico shrank back onto the ground, his eyes widening as the blond slammed his hand into the table. The young man's nails appeared to darken and grow sharp as they dug into the wood.

At the sound of someone snapping their fingers, the blond pulled away from Nico. "Behave yourself, Hyperion. We still need him, even when he gives us the egg," came Kronos's dark haunting voice. "Minos, perhaps the boy would prefer to eat in his chambers. Won't you see to it that he arrives safely?"

Minos rose from his place on the floor beside the king and bowed. He walked over to Nico and got a firm grip on Nico's arm before yanking him off the ground. Nico winced as he felt the man's nails sink into his skin, but bit down on his lip to prevent a scream from escaping him.

He was led through the castle to his room, where he was tossed inside. Nico fell to the floor with a grunt before rolling over to glare at Minos. "This would be so much easier if you just told the king what he wanted to know. You know how he suffers without the egg," the sorcerer said with a faint smirk.

"Go burn in the hells that spawned you," Nico growled, pushing himself to his feet. He sat down on his bed and turned his back to the dark sorcerer. He shuddered when he felt the dark and disturbing man's breathing in his ear.

"Don't worry, Nico, once we have the egg, I'll be getting to spend a lot of intimate time with you," Minos whispered. "Breaking you and the dragon's will. Corrupting you, turning you, strengthening you for the purpose of serving your soon to be master, Kronos."

Nico jerked his head around, but all he found was dissipating smoke. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. At least the egg was out of Kronos's reach, and that was all that mattered. He heard the door open behind him, but he didn't bother turning around. "I'm not hungry," he mumbled.

When the door closed, he turned his head, ready to get up and throw the food at the door. He froze when he saw two guards with their swords drawn standing in front of the door. One was slightly taller and more muscular than the other. Nico could not see their faces, due to the standard helmets that they wore.

"Well, if you've come to kill me, be my guest," he chuckled dryly.

The shorter of the two pulled his helmet off, revealing a middle-aged man with chestnut colored hair. His eyes were a dark grey color, like the stones that the very castle was made out of. He had tan skin and calloused looking hands. There was a small cut on his left cheek, right below his eye, as well a hint of stubble on his chin.

"We're actually here about the dragon egg," the man said.

Nico frowned at him. "Well, like I told the king, I'm not telling," he huffed.

The man smiled at him. "I think you misunderstand. We're here to help you."

Nico eyed the man skeptically while the taller man removed his helmet. He had shoulder length black hair and a pair of striking sea-green eyes. Like the first man, he had tan skin and a muscular structure. While he had a sense of age about him, he looked relatively young. His beard was neatly trimmed and he had laugh lines, though he did not look too happy at the moment.

"You did not tell me this was who we were coming to rescue, Janus," the taller man growled, pointing his sword at Nico, who stared down at the blade with wide eyes. "He is the son of Hades, the traitor."

Janus stepped forward and placed his hand on the man's sword, pushing it away from Nico. "Because I knew you wouldn't come with me if you knew," he said simply. "Regardless, we need him. He's the only one who knows where the dragon egg is."

"Who are you two?" Nico asked, eyeing them cautiously.

Janus smiled at him. "I am Janus, of the Popularis, and this is Poseidon."

Poseidon and Nico stared at each other for a long time. He didn't like the way the man stared at him, like there was some deep rooted hatred for who he was. They broke their gazes when bells started going off throughout the castle. Janus cursed under his breath and grabbed Poseidon's arm.

"I know how you feel about this, but we need to get him out of here," the rebel hissed.

Poseidon leered at Nico again briefly before grunting. He reluctantly nodded his head and grabbed Nico's arm. Nico let out a gasp as he was dragged from his room between the two men. "We're going to need a faster way out of here," Poseidon whispered.

"I know a way out," Nico said.

The two men stared at each other for a brief second before Janus nodded. "Show us," he ordered.

Nico nodded and they took off down the hall. Nico slid to a stop as three guards came marching down the hall. Poseidon pushed him back and the two older men prepared to face off against the king's royal guard. Janus ducked under a swing, while slicing his blade across the guard's thigh. He rose back to his full height before slamming the pummel of his sword into the man's helmet, knocking him against the wall.

Meanwhile, Poseidon was skillfully defending against his two attackers. When one of them went to strike, he raised his blade and blocked. He then countered by kicking the man in the chest and slicing his blade horizontally down the man's chest. As the guard fell to the ground, Poseidon grabbed the guard he had kicked and slammed his head into the wall.

Before Nico had the chance to even blink, Poseidon had regained his firm grip on Nico's arm and was dragging him down the hall again. Nico directed them down several corridors. He cringed when he heard Kronos's booming voice echo through the castle for the guards to stop them. Nico quickly directed them towards a door, just as several more guards came around a corner.

Poseidon stepped forward, while Janus worked on knocking in the door. The black haired man stretched his hand out and yelled, "Conflare!"

Nico watched as fire shot out from the man's hand and incinerated the guards. "Come on!" Janus yelled at them.

"Hey!" Nico cried as Poseidon picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.

They ran into the room, where the two men began looking around. "Where is this passage?" Poseidon hissed.

Nico grumbled from his place on the man's shoulder. "It's behind that bookcase," he answered, kicking his leg in the direction he knew said object to be. "There's a lever beside it. Just look for a loose stone."

Janus patted the wall for a few seconds before he found it. He gripped the stone and pulled it out. Sure enough, the bookcase moved away from the wall, revealing a dark tunnel. They turned to look at the sound of yelling. Poseidon shoved Janus into the tunnel and tossed Nico at him. He shoved the stone back into the wall and quickly stepped inside before it closed.

Nico sighed as he was placed between the two men again. Poseidon took the lead, feeling the wall as a means to guide them. "Where does this lead?" The man asked.

"The lake southeast of Olympus," Nico answered. "There's a cave opening there, which is good, because we need to head south."

"And why is that?"

"I hid the egg in that direction."

"And where is the egg?" Poseidon inquired.

Nico glared at the man's back. "I'm not telling. If I do, how do I know you won't kill me?"

Poseidon grunted at him. Janus placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. "You will not be harmed. Besides, I am curious about some things," he said.

Nico frowned and turned his head, though he was unable to see Janus. "What sorts of things?"

"You will find out in due time, boy."

It took them over an hour to navigate the dark tunnel. Once they exited, the two men sheathed their swords. "Now then, show us where you hid the egg," Poseidon said, turning to Nico.

When Nico was quiet, Janus crossed his arms. "You were planning on giving the egg to the rebels, weren't you?" He asked. "I saw you meeting with Terminus, so I know you took a fake one to the meeting. Why?"

"I didn't want to risk the king interrupting the meeting," Nico mumbled. "And I'm glad I didn't take it, or else the egg would be back in his hands."

"And why do you want to help with defeating Kronos?" Poseidon inquired.

Nico glared at Poseidon. "I hate that man. He is evil, even if people don't see it. He murdered his order and took over Elysia. He is insane with the desire for power, and I want to see an end to it."

Poseidon nodded his head once before looking at Janus with a sigh. "Well then, shall we be on our way?"

They journeyed for two days before they reached the spot that Nico had met with Terminus in. They had stayed off the roads, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. The sun was just starting to set when they arrived in the area that Nico had said he had stashed the egg.

He wandered around for a while, the two men following behind him. "Did you lose it?" Poseidon asked quietly.

"Well, it was dark, and I was in a hurry," Nico chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "It should be here- There!"

Nico ran over to what looked like an old rabbit warren. The boy got onto his stomach and slid into the opening. Nico grabbed a ledge and dropped down a small distance to a small dark cavern. It wasn't very big, and he wasn't even able to stand up straight. He smiled when he saw what he was looking for.

Beneath some old leaves and dirt, was a red egg that was glowing faintly in the darkness. He slowly reached down and picked it up before tucking it under his shirt and climbing his way back up the hole. He grinned at both of the men when he emerged from the warren. He pulled the stone from his shirt and held it out for them. Poseidon made to reach for it, but stopped.

The egg began to glow in Nico's outstretched hands. Nico's eyes turned bright red as he stared down at the egg, which was getting warmer. The egg began rocking back and forth in his palms, and, finally, cracks began to form along its surface. The egg suddenly shattered in his hands, the fragments falling away to reveal a small red dragon in Nico's palms.

It blinked up at Nico and made a high pitched rumbling sound in its throat. It made a hissing sound as it circled around in Nico's palm before wrapping its wings around Nico's hand, and its tail around Nico's wrist. Nico stared down at it in amazement. It was a pure dark red color, except for the edges of its scales, which were black. Two black stubs sat on top of its head and it had bat-like wings that would expand the distance between its nose and its tail. Its eyes were bright red, and gave the appearance of flames, with black slits in the very center.

Nico looked up when he felt Poseidon's presence. The man stood directly in front of him, staring down at the dragon with a smile on his face. "Congratulation. It seems that it chose you to be its Rider," the black haired man whispered. The two of them locked gazes. "It's a very high honor to be chosen by a dragon."

"You were a Dragon Rider, weren't you?" Nico asked. He blinked down at the dragon in his hands as it climbed up his arm and wrapped itself around his shoulders.

Poseidon let out a long sigh. "I was, a very long time ago."

"We will need to part ways soon. I will need to return to Chiron and inform him of what has happened here," Janus spoke up.

Poseidon turned to him with a frown. "You're not taking him with you?"

Janus shook his head. "I don't think that Chiron would be as...understanding about taking in the son of Hades right now, even if he is a Rider. Besides, he needs training, and I know you don't like being at Valterossa for extended periods of time."

Poseidon and Nico looked at each other. The tall man finally nodded. "I'll take care of him for you. He'll stay with me in Mitra."

Janus frowned at him. "Is that wise? That dragon isn't going to stay small forever."

Poseidon chuckled. "I do remember what it was like to raise a dragon, Janus. Even if it was a thousand years ago."

Nico's eyes widened as he listened to Poseidon. He turned his head to look at the red winged creature on his shoulder. Was he going to live that long? Janus nodded and walked off to where they had tied up two horses that they had stolen on the way there.

Poseidon finally turned to Nico and placed his hand on Nico's head. "I have a boy about your age, so you won't be completely alone at my home," the man said. "Actually, it was our hope that he would be a Dragon Rider as well."

"You mean with the other dragon egg that was stolen?" Nico asked.

The tall man nodded and walked over to the other horse. "Yes. Janus brought it to me right before we came and got you. I'm just hoping that it hasn't hatched yet." He let out a chuckle. "I can only imagine how Sally or Percy would react if they suddenly found a baby dragon in the house."

"What if it doesn't hatch for him?"

Poseidon's lips thinned as he untied the horse from the tree. Nico walked over and Poseidon holstered him up on the horse. His dragon grunted, but didn't lift its head from where it was burrowing its head in Nico's neck. "Then we'll keep searching for someone that the dragon feels is worthy," Poseidon finally whispered, climbing onto the horse behind Nico.

---

Fascinated brown eyes watched as the red dragon crawling on the tree branch spread its wings. It glided off the tree and tackled a squirrel that was attempting to forage for nuts. A small smile spread onto Nico's lips as he watched his dragon begin to devour the small creature. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Poseidon sat on the log that Nico was currently crouched behind. "You'll have to remember to make sure he doesn't run around eating people's pets and livestock when he gets older," Poseidon chuckled.

Nico cocked his head to the side. "It's a boy?" He asked.

The elder Dragon Rider nodded. "Yes, and a healthy one at that. He'll make a fine dragon when he grows up."

"How long until I can ride him?"

Poseidon chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "It'll be a few years, boy." He rose to his feet and brushed himself off. "Now then, we need to get moving. We're almost to Mitra."

They had traveled north after leaving the woods. They had traveled through the Gorrian Wastes in order to avoid running into, or being followed by, the king's men. Once they had left the desert, Janus had headed east to get back to his people. Poseidon had taken him west, to Mitra. They had stopped off along a river south of the village in order to rest, but Nico could tell the man was anxious to get back to his family. Nico couldn't really blame the man, seeing as how angry the king probably was, now that both of the dragon eggs were stolen from him.

Nico nodded. He rose to his feet and started walking after Poseidon. His dragon perked its head up and bounded after the boy, part of the squirrel still in its mouth. Nico smiled at him and held out his hand, and the dragon climbed up his arm. Nico wrinkled his nose at the beast as it finished off its meal on his shoulder.

"No more eating on me," he mumbled. He climbed onto the horse and looked down at Poseidon. "He needs a name."

Poseidon nodded and climbed up behind Nico. "Well, what were you thinking?" He asked.

Nico scrunched his lips and turned to look at his dragon. "Is there some sort of tradition or rules for naming your dragon?"

Poseidon spurred the horse and the two were off to the village once again. "Well, your dragon has to accept it. But beyond that, no, there aren't any tradition or rules."

Nico nodded. The dragon crawled down into his lap and curled up. "I'll give it some thought, I guess."

Poseidon nodded and the two fell silent. Nico stared down at his dragon as they rode. He wasn't sure what would be an appropriate name for such a magnificent beast. It wasn't a simple task, like naming a pet. It had to be just right, and it needed to be something that his dragon would like as well.

Poseidon's horse started to slow down, which caused Nico to look up. In the distance, he could see smoke rising from the woods. He felt a chill run down his spine, already knowing what probably waited for them ahead. Poseidon cursed under his breath and rode off towards the village as fast as the horse would take them.

The sun had set by the time they reached Poseidon's farmhouse. Nico stared with wide eyes as the farmhouse went up in flames. Poseidon jumped off the horse and ran up to the house. Nico bit his lip and climbed off to go after his new mentor. He cradled his dragon in his arms as he ran after Poseidon, stopping in the doorway. He raised a hand to shield his face as he peered inside.

"P-Poseidon!" Nico yelled into the burning house.

His eyes widened as Poseidon burst from the smoke and swept Nico up into his arms. He dove through the air just as the house began to collapse, debris shooting through the air. Poseidon rolled in the air so that he took the brunt of the landing when they hit the ground. Nico blinked down at him in surprise.

"They weren't in there," Poseidon whispered. "We need to get to the village. Perhaps I can find them there."

Without giving Nico time to say anything, Poseidon lifted the boy up and carried him back to the horse. He roughly placed Nico on the saddle before climbing up behind him. The horse shot off into the night, though the smell of smoke was still burned into Nico's nostrils.

They traveled to the village, only to find a similar scene. People ran around in panic, while their homes and stores burned to the ground. To Nico's relief, there didn't seem to be any sign of soldiers in the village. The villagers were too busy attempting to put out all of the fires to notice their arrival.

"Stay here," Poseidon ordered as he climbed off the horse. Nico frowned after the man, but did as he was told. He held his dragon a little closer to him as he looked around at the tragic scene in front of him. Poseidon grabbed a muscular man as he was running by. "Delphin, where are my wife and son?"

The man stared back at Poseidon with wide eyes. "T-they...They're over..."

Poseidon's eyes narrowed at the man. "Where are they?" He yelled, shaking him violently. Nico looked up at the sky as a drop of rain hit him on the head. He held his hand out as a steady trickle started to come down.

"Over by the inn."

"Show me," Poseidon growled back at him, shoving the man forward.

Nico glanced around for a few more seconds before taking the reins and going after Poseidon. As he went, a few of the children, who weren't busy helping put out the fires, stared at him and pointed. They began whispering to themselves. Nico paid them no attention, though. He didn't know what they were so interested in, and he didn't have time to figure it out.

He stopped the horse when he spotted Poseidon crouched down in front of what must have been the inn. He climbed off the horse and slowly walked over to the man, his dragon gliding to him and landing in his arms. He peered over Poseidon's shoulder to see a woman's body. She had a sword wound in her stomach and several bruises on her cheek.

As Nico walked closer, he noticed there was a second body in Poseidon's arms, though it was burned beyond recognition. He crouched down next to the grieving man so that he could get a better look. It was the body of a boy, probably around his age, but beyond that, Nico couldn't make any features out.

Nico touched Poseidon's shoulder as the rain started pouring down. There was no reason to say anything, he knew what had happened. A small stone came sailing out of nowhere and hit Poseidon on his cheek. The man growled and looked at the perpetrators; a group of middle-aged men. "They came here looking for you," one of them said.

"And they only were interested in your wife," another one added.

"They were looking for something," said the third.

"What did you do, Poseidon?" The first man growled. His eyes then flickered to Nico. "And who is this?"

"You brought this down on us," a woman voiced.

Poseidon rose to his feet and moved to stand in front of them. Delphin's eyes widened as he stared at Nico. Nico tilted his head to the side as he followed the man's gaze down, his own eyes widening. His dragon was in plain sight, and the man had seen it. The children had probably seen it, too. How could he have been so careless?

"That!" Delphin yelled, scrambling away from Nico and pointing at the black haired boy.

A group of villagers had gathered around them by this point, and they were all now staring at Nico. The boy slowly climbed to his feet. Poseidon frowned at him, but didn't say anything. The dragon in his arms made a raspy sound and perked its head up. It flapped its wings and hissed at the villagers, who began mumbling as they stared at it.

"Is that what I think it is?" The first man from earlier asked. His eyes turned on Poseidon in a glare. "It's because of that thing that our homes were destroyed."

"He's a Rider," someone whispered from the crowd.

"And the king would pay handsomely for him," Delphin mumbled.

Poseidon pushed Nico behind him as they slowly backed towards their horse. "Dragon Riders were once the keepers of peace in the land. Or have you all forgotten? They protected us once."

"Before they killed each other for power!" Someone yelled.

"And now it's starting again!" Another added.

"We wouldn't need protection in the first place, if it wasn't for him!" A woman yelled, throwing a stick at Poseidon.

As the crowd began to descend upon them, Poseidon drew his sword and swung it to keep some distance between them and the mob. Nico quickly climbed onto the horse and held his dragon close to his chest. Poseidon swung a final time before jumping onto the horse and spurring it away from the village.

They didn't stop riding until they were back at the burned down farmhouse. Nico pursed his lips as he looked up at the man sitting behind him. Poseidon silently stared at his old home, a look of devastation on his face. "I'm sorry," Nico whispered.

The man didn't reply, he simply put a hand on Nico's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The rain was coming down very hard as they sat there on the horse, both of them soaked from head to toe. The man climbed off of the horse and walked over to his destroyed home. He gently placed his hand on the doorframe before collapsing to his knees. Nico watched on as the man buried his face into his palms and began to cry.

Nico couldn't even imagine what the man was going through. He had never known his mother, and his father had died shortly after he was born, so he had never really had a family. The closest thing he would have had was Kronos, and that man had been anything but a father to him.

Nico quietly dismounted from the horse. He lifted his dragon and let it climb onto his shoulder as he walked over to the broken man. The price had been paid for their actions. The king had brought down his wrath upon his country, all to look for two dragon eggs. And from the looks of things, he may have gotten his hands on one of them.

Poseidon let his hand fall from the wood and began to stand up. He walked to Nico's side and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We have to be careful now," the man whispered. "Everything now rests on you and your dragon, Nico."

The red dragon on Nico's shoulder growled and curled itself up, placing his wings over his head. Nico let out a sigh as he stared at his partner. "Cerberus," Nico whispered.

Poseidon blinked and looked down at him. "Hmm?"

"His name. His name is Cerberus." Nico felt a tingling run through his body and his eyes briefly flashed red. He smiled to himself, knowing that the dragon must have approved of the name.

"A fine name," Poseidon whispered. Nico looked up at him, and even in the rain, he could see tears in the man's eyes. He looked at the man in concern, but Poseidon looked away from Nico. He stared up at the sky for a moment before shutting his eyes, letting the rain hit his face. "I suppose we'll need to get started on your training immediately. You will train every day. Your life will revolve around learning what you need to know in order to be our greatest champion. Word is going to spread of a new Dragon Rider, and I want you to be ready for the battles that await you."

Nico slowly nodded. He stared up at the sky himself, a frown finding its way onto his face. "I'm going to have to fight Kronos when I'm older, aren't I?" He whispered.

"Yes." Poseidon opened his eyes and stared down into Nico's brown ones. "But don't worry about that right now. Come, we have much work to do. You are our last hope. A new Dragon Rider has been born, and one day, people will tell great tales of you, Nico. But for now, this is where your legend truly begins."

---

Percy found himself sitting in a grassy field, the wind blowing gently against his face. He climbed to his feet and looked around. A playful growl came from the grass just as his small blue and white dragon flew onto his shoulders. He blinked at it and it nuzzled against his cheek. He glanced around at his surroundings, frowning as he saw something shiny in the distance.

He walked for what felt like hours before coming to a circle of white bubbles. He leaned in closer to peer inside of one, his eyes widening at it. Inside, he saw himself, but older. He weaved the mightiest spells to defeat his enemies. He had become the most powerful magic user in all Elysia. Everyone bowed before him. And beside him, stood his dragon, tall and mighty. He slowly reached out and touched the bubble, quiet whispers filling his mind.

A bright light encompassed him and everything around him. When he opened his eyes to look around, he found that he was now standing in a ruined city. He took a few steps before stopping. He stared up at the ruined buildings. Some of the buildings looked like they had been very tall, and the city itself looked like it had once been magnificent.

His dragon took off walking a few paces ahead of him. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the beast. Did it seem bigger? He shook his head. He was probably just imagining things. "You need a name," he said, placing his hands on his hips.

The dragon stopped and cocked its head up at him. Percy sat down and crossed his legs. The dragon bounded over to him and curled up in his lap. Percy tapped a finger to his lips as he stared at the dragon. What was a good dragon name anyways? Percy suddenly winced and clutched his forehead.

The dragon blinked up at him innocently as Percy began to frown. A name slowly drifted into Percy's mind. "Did you..." He whispered. "Anaklusma? Is that the name you want?" The dragon sat up and spread its wings while making a raspy noise. Percy shrugged. "Alright, I guess. So, you're a girl dragon?" The dragon bounced up and down in his lap.

Percy chuckled and stood up, placing the dragon on his shoulder. He frowned at it for a few seconds. It did feel slightly heavier. That was certainly odd. Percy shrugged and began walking again. He came to an open space, where he found more bubbles, this time green. Percy walked up to one and peered inside it.

This time, he saw himself clad in black armor. He sat on a dark throne, a sword in his right hand. Curled around his throne, lay Anaklusma. The dragon, like in the last bubble, was giant. Percy, however, still appeared to be young. Before him, everyone bowed down. Any that stood against him were destroyed by him and his dragon. No one would oppose him, and none would ever be greater than him.

He reached out and gently touched the bubble, causing a rippling on its surface. More whispers filled his mind as the bubble began to glow. In another flash, Percy found himself in a desert. He looked around, but all he saw was desert. And while the sun blared down on him and his dragon from the sky, he felt no heat. He yelled to see if anyone was around, only to be met with silence.

He finally sighed and looked down at Anaklusma, only to have to lift his gaze. Had she always come up to his chest? She must have. It was probably nothing for him to worry about. He heard a low humming and turned around to find more bubbles, this time black. His eyes widened as the ground seemed to move underneath him, bringing him to stand in the center of the bubbles. He stared at the one directly in front of him and peered into its surface.

This time he saw a tall tower. The image zoomed up to the top and entered a window, where he found a circular room with chairs placed in a circle towards the center of the room. In the tallest of the chairs, sat Percy, clad in shiny armor and a cloak. Power coursed through every part of his body and his eyes glowed, one blue and the other white.

He reached out and touched the bubble, once again being enveloped by a bright light. As the light faded, Percy lifted his head and peered around at his surroundings. Ahead of him, there was nothing but endless beach, and the same could be said about the path behind him. To his right was a deep forest, which extended down onto the sandy beach, and went on forever in either direction, just like the beach. To his left was a black ocean, which went on forever, just as everything else seemed to do.

He blinked as he was nudged from behind. He spun around and put on a playful scowl as he stared at his dragon, who had to lower its head to stare him in the eye. It wasn't much bigger than him, only about an inch or two taller. "Don't shove, Anaklusma?" Percy said, fighting off a smile.

The blue and white dragon let out a hollow melody as it circled Percy before looking around. She walked up to one of many silver bubbles that were floating around the beach. Percy smiled and walked up beside her.

"Is this the one we should touch next?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Perhaps our next location will be less gloomy," Anaklusma's thoughts came into his head. He smiled and peered inside the silver bubble.

Inside, he saw himself sitting on the back of a giant-sized Anaklusma, with a glowing sword in his hand. His dragon roared to the heavens before diving off the side of the mountain and soaring through the air. Wherever he went, light followed behind him, bringing prosperity to all who lived in the land.

Percy's fingers slowly reached out and came in contact with the glowing silver orb. He shut his eyes as whispers filled his head. There was a bright flash, and the next thing the boy and his dragon knew, they were standing in a frozen wasteland. "Well, so much for a less gloomy location," he mumbled.

Anaklusma snorted her agreement and let out a puff of smoke. He smiled warmly at the dragon as the two walked through the frozen land. The green-eyed boy scratched his head as he looked around. There didn't seem to be any people around. However, there were some old ruins he could spot under some of the snow, as well as a frozen lake. The bubbles, which seemed to be in every place he went, were now a fiery red color. The strange thing, though, was the fact that even though they were in a frozen wasteland, it wasn't cold.

He frowned when he felt a tugging sensation in his stomach. The snow suddenly started shooting into the sky and spinning. In the distance, the scenery began to fade from existence. In the back of Percy's mind, he thought he heard his name being called, but he paid it little attention. As the ground started to vanish beneath his feet, Percy made a dive for one of the orbs. He let out a loud scream as he began falling into the dark abyss below him.

Percy's eyes snapped open as he sat up, groaning when several of his bones popped in the process. He couldn't see much, due to the fact that his bangs were, strangely, hanging down past his mouth. He reached back with a frown, and felt that his hair was now reaching down to the middle of his back. And that was when he finally looked down at himself.

His ankles were sticking out from the bottom of his now dirty trousers. His shirt had seemed to have shrunk on him as well. He finally stared at his hands, to find that they had gotten bigger. He stared in confusion at the rest of his body. A deep growling noise broke him out of his thoughts.

He turned just as Anaklusma's head rose off the ground. She still looked normal, standing just over Percy's head. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think. What happened to him? Everything had fit when he was in the snow. Or had he been there? His head tilted to the side. Had he even gone to those places? How had he gotten here in the first place?

Where were his parents? He blinked a few times. What were parents? Where had he come from before he had gotten here? Did he have a home? Did he have anyone? Was this all just another dream? He couldn't remember anything clearly. Everything just blurred together in his mind. He slowly climbed to his feet, stumbling a few times.

He frowned as his bangs kept blocking his view. "I need to ask mom for a haircut," he whispered and then blinked. Mother? His eyes shifted back and forth as he tried to put a face with the word, but only came up empty.

He began stumbling through the forest, his dragon tagging along behind him. He wobbled a few times and his hand drifted up to touch his temple. He glanced down at his pants from time to time, only to frown. How much had he grown? How long had he been asleep? Was he even awake now? Perhaps this was also a dream. Maybe everything he had known before waking up back there had been a dream. Maybe he had always been asleep.

He hissed under his breath as he and Anaklusma exited the woods, the sun beating down on them. He nearly fell forward, but his dragon caught him with her neck. "You are weak, Percy. Let me go find you food," she said.

Percy nodded and the dragon took off into the sky. He frowned as he kept moving forward. He slowly made his way in front of a burned down home. The crops outside had all withered and died, and all of the stables were empty. He frowned as he looked at the wreckage that used to be a home. Why did it seem so familiar?

"H-Home," Percy croaked out. He cleared his throat and peered inside through a broken window. When he spotted nothing of interest, he pulled away. He frowned at the horizon, where he spotted smoke rising in the distance.

He made his way into the village, where he found the source of the smoke: a blacksmith. He got a lot of looks from the villagers, who whispered to each other as they stared. He stepped inside the blacksmith shop, where he found a man beating on an anvil.

"Excuse me," Percy said weakly.

The man stopped pounding the blade that rested on the anvil and turned to stare at him. "Well hello, young man," he said before finally looking Percy over. "Where exactly did you come from, lad?"

Percy stared at the ground in frustration. He tried thinking about it, but he couldn't come up with an answer. Was this his home? Had that burned down farm really been his home? It seemed just like another dream to him. "I don't remember," he mumbled.

The blacksmith frowned and looked around outside his shop. "And where are your parents?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't remember."

"How old are you?"

Once again, Percy shrugged. "I don't know. I thought... I thought I was ten."

The blacksmith stroked his beard. "Look a little old to be ten, son." He then gave Percy an odd look. "Are you from around here, boy? There's something strangely familiar about you."

Percy ignored the question. He looked behind him and glanced outside. While the village looked nice for the most part, he found some buildings were laying in ruin, just like the farm he had found. "What happened to this place?"

The blacksmith came to stand beside him. "Well, about three years ago, the village was burned to the ground. It was a pretty horrible mess. The king's army came looking for something, or someone." The man shook his head. "We had a few casualties, but nothing major. And it was all that damned boy's fault."

"Boy?"

The blacksmith nodded. "You might think I'm thick in the head, but I know what I saw. The kid had a dragon in his arms."

Percy's eyes flickered back to the large man with a new interest. "A dragon?"

The blacksmith nodded. "Stolen from the king himself. And now, you hear about all these rumors of a new Dragon Rider having appeared. I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen the beast with my own eyes." He let out a grunt. "But he disappeared that night, and, to be honest, I was hoping the king would have caught the boy and beast. It's their fault we had to suffer in the first place."

"This place, what's it called?" Percy asked, glancing back at the village.

The man blinked down at him in surprise. "This? This is Mitra," he chuckled. "Where in the blazes did you wander in from, lad?" He let out a sigh. "Perhaps I shouldn't be angry with the boy, though. It was that damned Poseidon, getting involved with those rebels. It was his own doing that got his wife and son killed."

Percy frowned as his brows furrowed. "Poseidon," he said, letting the name roll off his tongue. It was familiar to him somehow.

The blacksmith nodded. "Aye. The poor woman had been so distraught over her missing son, but I guess she found the kid before the soldiers got the two of them. Yep, we found the poor boy's body lying next to his mother's."

"Percy, come back to the woods. I have food," Anaklusma's voice filled his head.

Without saying anything to the man, Percy walked out of the blacksmith shop. The man scratched his chin as he watched the boy go, but shrugged and went back to work. Percy walked towards the edge of the village, receiving more looks from the villagers.

When he finally reached the destroyed farm, he found his dragon with a cow in her mouth. "Where did you get that?" He asked.

"Roaming around in a field," the dragon replied. "Odd, though, the creature and its kin were in this strange wooden enclosure."

Percy shrugged as he stared down at it. "Must have gotten trapped there." He glanced down at the dead animal and made a face. "I can't eat this." He scratched the back of his neck. When was the last time he had eaten?

Anaklusma's head shot up and looked around, growling. "Someone approaches," she hissed. The blue and white dragon wrapped herself around Percy. Percy slowly poked his head out from around Anaklusma's neck to find a woman standing in front of them.

She was a tall woman, standing around six foot tall. Her black hair was long and straight, reaching down to her waist. She wore no shoes, and it seemed like the grass beneath her feet became more vibrant wherever she stepped. She had on a slim-fitting deep green dress that strapped itself around her neck, and showed off a hint of her breasts. Two golden bangles wrapped around her upper arms, and she also wore a small golden circlet that bore an emerald in the center of it. She wore a stern expression on her face as she stared down at Percy. Her lips were a beautiful shade of red and she had long pointed nails. Her eyes were the most striking thing about her, though. They were completely green, except for two black slits that resided within them.

Percy's breathing had turned ragged as he stared at her, and he was now aware that he was shaking as he looked at her. Anaklusma had stopped growling, and had ended up lying down on the ground. "Welcome back, young Perseus," the woman said, her voice like a soothing melody.

"Wh-who are you?" Percy asked.

"I am Gaea, and I have come for you, young Dragon Rider."

Percy pointed a finger at himself. "Me?"

Gaea stared down at him with a slight look of disdain, as if she were slightly bothered by his presence. "Yes, you." She walked forward and gestured to the burned down home. "As you can see, your life here is gone. Your home is destroyed, your family is gone, and you are now alone. Your mother is dead, and your father has given up looking for you. What reason do you have to stay?"

"And you want to help me?"

Gaea placed a hand on his head, frowning as she felt his dirty hair. "Humans," she muttered under her breath. "Yes. I have a new home for you and your dragon. And I can help you on the path to becoming a Rider." The black slits of her eyes thinned. "Though, it will be done my way."

"What-what are you?"

"She's a dragon, Percy," Anaklusma hissed.

Gaea cut her eyes over to Percy's dragon, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Yes, that is what I am."

"You don't look like a dragon," Percy mumbled.

"No, I suppose I don't." She held her hand out in front of Percy. "So, do we have an agreement? I will teach you all that you will need to know about being a Rider, if you promise to meet my wishes when the time comes."

Percy reached out, but stopped before he took her hand. "You're not going to tell me your end of the terms?" He asked.

Gaea stared down at him with a frightening stare. "You will learn them in time," she said softly. "But you are the reason this village was attacked, and you will constantly be in danger if you stay here. Come with me, and you'll be in the safest place imaginable."

Percy frowned, but took the supposed dragon's hand. Gaea smiled and nodded. "Now what?" Percy asked.

Gaea release his hand and walked off a few feet. "Now, we leave. I'd advise you to stand back."

Percy's eyes widened as light and shadow began swirling around the tall woman. He stumbled backwards until he fell down. A giant head, attached to a long neck, rose from the vortex. Giant wings, that looked like they could blot out the sun, spread out across the sky. A giant green claw came to rest in front of Percy, shaking the very ground around him. Dark green scales covered the massive creature's body, while two large brown horns rose from its skull. The giant dragon's head lowered to stare him in the face. His eyes widened as Gaea's green eyes stared back at him.

"Y-you're a dragon!" He exclaimed.

The dragon rose back to its full height, letting out a roar so loud that Percy had to cover his ears. "I am an elder dragon, young Rider! I am Gaea, the mother of all dragons. I am the first and eldest," came Gaea's booming voice in Percy's head. "And I have a use for you, little one, so do not disappoint me."

Percy nodded his head with an audible gulp. Gaea swept her tail over to Percy and wrapped it around him. He let out a yelp as he was picked up and placed on her back. Her scales were much thicker than Anaklusma's, as they looked more like giant fragments of plate armor than scales. The thick scales shifted slightly until he was able to wrap his arms around one. Percy was so tiny compared to her. His body barely managed to cover just one of her many scales. With her massive size, she could probably have crushed his old farm under one of her claws.

"Do hold on," Gaea said before shooting away from the ground. Percy looked down with wide eyes as he watched the gusts from Gaea's wings blow the wreckage of his old house over. Anaklusma snorted smoke before flapping her wings and soaring into the air after them.

Percy's heart sped up as he watched the ground grow farther and farther away from them. Soon, they were soaring amongst the clouds. "Where are we going?" Percy yelled over the roaring winds.

"Home," Gaea said simply. "You've been asleep for three years, young Rider, and it will be several more years before you see the world of men again. Dragons will be your companions now, and you will learn our ways."

Percy let out a shaky breath as he looked back down. He looked over at his dragon, who let out a playful growl. He sighed and rested his head against Gaea's massive back, where his eyes slowly drifted closed.

---

Poseidon walked back into the campsite and deposited a few pieces of wood near an extinguished fire. He sighed and looked around before rolling his eyes. He walked up to a red boulder and kicked it with his boot. A deep growling sound echoed from the boulder before a neck unwrapped itself from the rest of the mass.

A red dragon stared at Poseidon with deeper red eyes, its black slits thinned to the extreme, expressing its displeasure at being woken up. It was pure red, except for the black horns growing out of its skull. It blew a puff of smoke at Poseidon's face before laying its head back down.

"Good morning to you too, Cerberus," Poseidon chuckled. "Now, if you don't mind, I need your Rider."

Cerberus snorted, releasing another puff of smoke along the ground and lifted his wing. A teenaged boy with shaggy black hair that hung down just above his brown eyes was curled up under the wing. He glared up at Poseidon before covering his eyes with his arm. "Traitor," he mumbled.

"He wanted you, which meant I get to sleep longer," Cerberus said.

Nico grinned wickedly as he stretched his arms above his head. "I don't suppose Cerberus could do something, too? I mean, if he just sits around all day, he'll probably end up getting fat," Nico said.

Cerberus's head shot off the ground, his black slits thinning as he glared at his Rider. "You will pay most dearly for that."

Nico shrugged with a smirk. "Next time, you'll think twice about giving up my location."

Poseidon stared at the two of them. "What I wouldn't give to hear a dragon's thoughts again," he whispered.

Nico blinked at the older man as he placed a hand on Cerberus's snout. "I'm sorry."

Poseidon shook his head. "No, you have nothing to be sorry about. Just remember to always cherish your dragon. He chose you, and your bond is not to be taken lightly."

Nico frowned as Poseidon walked off. "What are we doing today?" He asked.

"Today, we meet the Popularis," Poseidon answered.

Nico blinked at the man a few times, trying to see if he had heard right. "As in the rebels?"

Poseidon kneeled down to pack up some of their belongings. "Yes, that would be them. Just remember what I said, your dragon must behave himself while we are there."

Nico nodded and looked back at Cerberus, who blew a puff of smoke. "Maybe just a little chaos?" The dragon said, showing off his sharp fangs.

Nico rolled his eyes. He turned back to Poseidon with a frown. They had been traveling together for the past three years, and the man had become more of a father than Kronos had ever tried to be to him. He had never known his actual father, so he had nothing really to go on for what made a good one.

But for the past three years, the three of them had been hiding. Poseidon would take Nico into villages sometimes, but Cerberus would always have to stay hidden. But, most of Nico's time was spent learning about magic and sword fighting. Poseidon had said that it would be his life for six whole years, until he reached sixteen. The man had never said anything else beyond that, and Nico wondered what would happen when he did reach sixteen.

Nico yelped as his legs were pulled out from under him. He scowled up at Cerberus, who puffed smoke at him. "You get lost in your thoughts very easily. You could have been overrun by enemies while you are off in your own little world," came the dragon's laughing thoughts.

Nico grumbled and got back on his feet. Nico grabbed a short sword that Poseidon had bought him and strapped it to his belt. He growled as his cloak was tossed onto his head. He scowled at Poseidon as he put the piece of cloth on, not bothering to put the hood onto his head. He grabbed his bow and quiver and strapped them to his back.

"Cerberus can stick to the skies for now. You can call for him when we arrive," Poseidon instructed.

Nico turned to his dragon and nodded. The dragon grunted and soared into the air. Nico sighed as he began walking after Poseidon. Nico wondered why the rebels finally wanted to meet him. He also wondered how they would react upon seeing him. Surely they knew who he was by now, right? It seemed like his name had begun spreading lately. Over the past year, especially, he would overhear his name in the villages they would stop off at.

Kronos was not happy that Nico had escaped his clutches, and with his dragon egg to top it off. And, sometimes, it just wasn't easy to hide a dragon. So, word had ended up spreading rather quickly that a new Rider had appeared. And worse for Nico, the king had put out a bounty on him.

"Keep up, Nico," Poseidon said, breaking Nico from his thoughts.

The thirteen year old frowned and looked up the steep path at his mentor. "Sorry," he apologized. "Just thinking about word spreading about me."

Poseidon reached out and helped Nico climb up a ledge. "Well, I feel it will only get worse as you get older. You're just now capable of really fighting, and over the next few years, you'll probably do nothing but make a name for yourself."

Nico stared in awe at the beautiful valley that lay before them. A lake sat in the center of it, with a few trees spread out around it. Past that, more mountains rose in the distance. "And this is where we'll find the Popularis?" Nico asked doubtfully.

Poseidon clapped Nico on the back. "What better place to hide than in the mountains?"

"Well, the king does have a dragon."

Poseidon shrugged and proceeded to walk down a worn path. "True, but he can't hope to take them with his dragon alone. His troops would have a disastrous time trying to navigate these mountains. No, the rebels have the advantage here. It'll also be a good place to hide your dragon. He can hide in their city, and take to the sky when he wants to go hunting."

Nico nodded, following close behind the taller man. "They won't, like, kill me when we arrive, will they?" Nico asked, biting down on his lip.

Poseidon chuckled and slung his arm around Nico's shoulders. "No, dear boy, you'll be fine. They want you on their side." He grew serious as he looked Nico in the eye. "They need you to have a hope of winning this war. Now that the other egg is gone, you are Elysia's last hope."

Nico grew bored as they finally managed to reach the lake. He stared up at Cerberus, who was circling above them. "So, tell me more about dragons," he finally said.

Poseidon smiled. "What else do you want to know?"

"Tell me again about our connection to them."

Poseidon's eyes closed, but his smile remained. "Your magic comes from your dragon. He is your friend, the one that you can rely on no matter what. Riders and their dragons are partners. The Riders' dragons are always raised by their Rider from the moment they hatch. They choose their Rider. Yours was one of only two that remained after the Rider Civil War."

Nico frowned up at the man. "What, uh, happened to your dragon?" He asked nervously.

"She was killed," Poseidon whispered. "And so my bond was broken." He opened his eyes and looked at Nico with sad green eyes. "Always cherish your dragon." He let out a sigh as they pressed onwards. "Anything else?"

"How long do they live for?"

Poseidon's smile returned. His eyes flashed with joy. Nico smiled up at the man. He always enjoyed hearing Poseidon tell his tales, and it helped that the man looked happier when he spoke of such things. "Dragons are immortal, and because of that, you are immortal, too."

Nico's eyes widened. "I am?" He asked, looking himself over.

Poseidon nodded. "Yes. Dragon Riders stop aging at sixteen." He smiled to himself. "Our entire ruling council was ruled by men and women that were thousands of years old, but looked like they were teenage boys and girls."

Nico glanced up to Poseidon's hair. A few grey strands were starting to come in, and the man's face had adopted a few wrinkles. "But...you're..." he trailed off, biting his tongue to prevent further embarrassment.

The older man chuckled at him. "No, I don't look sixteen." He sighed and rubbed his beard. "I age because my dragon is dead, the bond broken. Your dragon can live on if you die, but you lose so much when you lose your dragon."

Nico wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly feeling cold. He glanced up at Cerberus with a frown. "I'm not going anywhere, boy," the red dragon assured him.

Poseidon suddenly came to a stop in front of a cliff, with a waterfall on the other side. "Here we are," he stated. He grinned at Nico before diving into the water below. Nico walked up to the ledge and groaned. Of course the entrance wouldn't be something simple. He sighed and fell backwards over the ledge.

He blinked around under the water, trying to find Poseidon, but had no luck. He felt a tug on his cloak and was pulled towards the surface. He gasped for breath before turning to face Poseidon. "I prefer the sky to the water," Nico grumbled.

Poseidon chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid we have to go back down. Stay close," the green-eyed man instructed.

Nico sighed and dove back under the water. He swam after Poseidon, who went deeper into the dark water. They swam through a narrow cave, which left very little room for movement. They broke surface momentarily as the cave rose upwards before diving back down and following the underwater cave around a curve.

They finally broke surface a second time, both of them gasping for breath. Nico's eyes widened as spears were lowered in front of their faces. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Janus push through the armed men. He wore the same silver chainmail as the last time Nico had laid eyes on him. A second man, several inches taller than Janus, emerged from the crowd as well. Poseidon climbed out of the pool with help from Janus. The old Dragon Rider clasped hands with the tall man, while Nico managed climbing out of the water on his own.

Tall was an exaggeration. The man had nearly an entire head over Poseidon, and Poseidon was a very tall man. Like the rest of the men, he too wore chainmail, but his was made of gold. Unlike the others, though, he did not have any covering his head. He had bushy eyebrows, intense brown eyes, and a scruffy beard. He had his brown hair drawn back in a short ponytail.

"Chiron, I'm glad to see you again," Poseidon greeted the tall man. He stepped aside and ushered Nico up to the golden-clad man.

Chiron eyed Nico with a frown, rubbing at his beard gently. "I am not pleased with having the son of the traitor in my midst, but I do welcome you as a Dragon Rider," he said, though he did not hold out his hand for Nico.

"A child does not choose his father," Nico mumbled.

"That may be true, but you were also the king's ward for ten years. I will be keeping an eye on you."

Nico stared back at him defiantly. "I have nothing to hide."

Poseidon cleared his throat. "What is the news you had for us?" The man asked in an attempt to clear the air.

Chiron looked away from Nico's dark eyes and met Poseidon's. "It seems we are gaining support. With a Rider on our side, Rosalia has offered us support," the tall man stated.

"I suppose that's good. But what's the catch?"

Chiron grunted and gestured for them to walk. "That is the catch. Nico. They want him just as much as we do. Everyone, including the king, wants to get their hands on him. He's valuable. He's the only Rider left with a dragon, besides the king."

Nico stopped for a moment as they came through a cave opening. His eyes widened as he gawked up at the city that lay before him. Everything was built into the very stone, rising high above them. He peered over a ledge to find a river running below them, along with some buildings built normally on the dirt.

Chiron came to a stop. "Speaking of dragons, call yours," he told Nico.

Nico's eyes briefly flashed red before he cast his eyes to the sky. The mountains opened up above them, casting the sun's light down on top of them. A loud roar came from overhead, and seconds later, Cerberus came swooping down into the rebel city. With a flap of his wings, he landed next to Nico. He barred his fangs and growled at Chiron, but Nico placed his hand on the dragon's snout to calm him down.

"He's fine," Nico assured Cerberus. Cerberus grunted and lifted his head.

Chiron stared at the beast with a smile on his face. "Amazing," he whispered.

Nico, Poseidon, and Chiron turned their head as some people started trying to push their way through the guards in order to get a better look at the red dragon now standing in their city. Nico blinked several times at a girl around his age that had made her way to the front of the crowd.

She had shoulder-length black hair and electric blue eyes. Freckles dotted her nose and she looked to be around Nico's height. She had pale skin, which Nico thought was very pretty. Unlike most girls Nico came across, she dressed more like a boy. She smiled at him, causing Nico's cheeks to tinge pink. He kicked the ground and looked away as she giggled at him. Next to her, a blond boy was debating what he wanted to focus his attention on, the girl and Nico's interaction or the dragon that stood in front of him.

Chiron glanced back at Poseidon and Nico. "Well then, let me welcome you to Valterossa."

So what did you guys think? I just wanted to do a fic with warriors riding dragons. Bragi and I were talking about Tale, and I mentioned it happening in that story, and he said if I wanted to have dragon riders, I should just make an entire new fic. I don't think he was being serious, but I went with it anyways.

Also, when Percy's eyes change colors, it sucks. I feel like I always have to state that one is blue and the other is white. Also, just to be clear, they aren't always that color. I made the concept of Riders' eyes changing colors when they use magic. I'm also trying to make two separate personalities for Percy and Nico's dragons. I want their sense of humor to be different. Anyways, let me know your thoughts, and I'll see you guys later.