It was official. I was losing. And I never lost. The fact that I was admitting defeat made it clear that I was going to die. And I don't die that easily. And I felt a little sad that I was going to get taken down by an overgrown crocodile. I also felt embarrassed that my head stone would be

Percy Jackson
Son of the Sea God
Died battling crocodile

I was on my back at this point. I'd stabbed the crocodile roughly three hundred times give or take a few and I only succeeded in making it slightly annoyed. I looked around straining to see the croc. I felt like the world's biggest failure. I'd become known as the guy who couldn't locate the ten foot tall crocodile as well as the guy who got eaten by a ten foot tall crocodile. I could defeat a Titan, several Titans (and giants) and save the world, but not my sorry ass from a reptile. I wished we were in some kind of area that had water. But no, we were in the middle of the woods. How a crocodile was living here was beyond me.
I struggled to my feet, regretting that I didn't take a friend on my little quest. "No, I'll be fine, it's just a small problem" I said.

"You're so dumb, Jackson" I whispered to myself. I raised my celestial bronze sword and waved it around to show that I meant business. If a mortal walked past they'd probably think I was yelling, waving around a straw at an oversized dog. I suddenly wished that I was mortal. I wished that I could have a nice quiet life, living at home with mum, eating blue food and not worrying about me dying every-
I fell on my back. I felt like I had been hit by a train. I ridiculously strong train. That happened to be a crocodile. The thing was lumbering toward me, its jaws slowly opening; even its tongue was lolling out of its head. Did crocodiles even do that? It seemed really happy that it was going to get a half blood happy meal. Right then I decided to accept my fate. I stood up, raising my sword once more, if I was going to die; I was going to die heroically.

Then I heard someone yelling. I secretly hoped it was Annabeth, and she secretly followed me here. Maybe she could bore it to death with knowledge. But it wasn't Annabeth, it was a little girl. She looked at me, the crocodile and then me and threw something at the croc. My jaw dropped open, throwing a pebble at it was not going to do a thing.
Soon enough I ate my words, as it was sailing through the air it started to transform. And if I didn't know any better I would have cast this off as me going insane, but I did know better. There was a giant albino hippo fighting a giant crocodile. The girl sprinted toward me.

"Well, you don't look too good" she said. She had a British accent, I was half expecting her to say 'care for some tea' but then I deduced that now wouldn't be the time for that.

"How did you find me?" I asked

"I followed you" she said simply.

I watched the girl as she flitted around with her bag and pulled a long staff out of nowhere. And I mean out of nowhere. She just stuck her arm out and pulled it out of thin air. She shoved her hand in her bag and procured a boomerang. I started to hyperventilate. I doubled over in an attempt to get air into my lungs. This was honestly crazy. I was standing with a twelve year old who was holding a boomerang and staff who happened to have a giant hippo. I wanted to cry. Sue me; I've become sensitive in my old eighteen years of age.
She muttered to herself in her cheery accent, something about a 'Carter.' I blinked a few times and looked up at the scene unfolding in front of me. The hippo appeared to have cracks all over its body. The girl noticed it too because she cursed and threw her staff end over end at them. It turned into a tiger in mid-air and launched itself onto the back of the crocodile. I stared at the girl in horror; there was only so much my mind could take before I'd faint.

"What are you?" I gasped

"The real question though, is what are you? You should have died an hour ago" she mused. "The name's Sadie and I am a magician" she smiled.

She stuck out her hand and I shook it.

"Percy Jackson, not a magician, demigod" I said. "Got any more tricks?" I asked.

"You don't even know the half of it, kid" she stuffed a hand into her bag.

I was gobsmacked. I momentarily forgot about the hippo and the tiger and the giant crocodile and stared. I was not a boy. "I'm eighteen thank you very much, what are you, twelve?"

"Thirteen" she replied, her hand still rooting through the bag.

"How do we kill this thing?"

"I don't have my know-it-all brother to give me the background story" she said, watching the scene unfold before her.

The hippo fell away into a mound of clay. Sadie cursed again. I felt a strange bond with annoying girl, I also knew what it felt like to no absolutely nothing and run in blind, which was what I did today coincidentally.

"But, I have battled this monster before, and it can't be killed, its necklace must be removed"

My bond with her vanished.

"What do you mean 'can't be killed'?" I said, mocking her accent.

"It means what it means, silly, I have a plan, you distract and I'll remove the necklace, got it? It's simple you shouldn't be able to screw it up, but watching you in the last half hour, I'm feeling you may not be up to it" she said

God, she had a sharp tongue. I felt like I was being force fed my own medicine. I sighed and nodded. Clearly she schooled me in this particular area. The tiger suddenly fell to the ground as a staff and Sadie disappeared into the bushes and behind some trees.

"Hey!" I yelled, waving my arms around, my sword in the air, I saw out of the corner of my eye Sadie running around the monster's right. She picked up her staff and whispered a few words and blue light appeared over the crocodile's body. It fell to the ground withering in pain. I sprinted toward Sadie and decided to never mess with this kid, ever. I sucked in a breath.

"Now what" I asked

She produced a small piece of string and turned to me. "I'm going to wrap the crocodile with-"

"you realise that it's only like thirty centimetres-"

"Hey, you listen-"

"Long and that crocodile is about five billion metres tall" I pointed at the writhing form that was the croc.

"Watch and learn, Jackson" she said, clearly annoyed. "Tas" she whispered and threw the string in the air.

I watched in amazement as the rope sailed through the air and slowly elongated and wrapped itself tightly around the crocodile. My mouth dropped open and dirt slowly piled in my mouth as it flew around. Sadie ran toward the giant crocodile and started to feel around its neck. This was so not the time to check if it had a cold. She yelled and let out an excited whoop and rolled backward toward me, a necklace in hand. The crocodile slowly started to shrink, and my brain felt like it was about to combust.

"Back to the Duat with you," she held out her hand and it disappeared. I was pretty sure I was on the verge of crying. "Now, we need to take this guy home" she said as she lifted up for staff.

A circle or a vortex opened in front of me. I looked inside and all I could see was sand. She held onto the crocodile still bound in her magical twine and asked me if I was 'still coming.' I guess I didn't have a choice, I jumped in after her.
At first I felt nothing, but then suddenly I was in water. I broke the surface, keeping myself afloat. Sadie was on the banks, the crocodile gone. I healed myself and instantly felt better. As soon as I stood on the banks with Sadie her eyes widened.

"How did you do that? Are you a healer? A water elementalist, a-"

"Demigod, half human- half God" I replied weakly. I truly was an unspectacular demigod. "Let me heal you, it's the least I can do since you saved me about a thousand times" I said.

She nodded, reluctantly and gave me her hand. I stepped into the water and instantly colour returned to her face and the few gashes she had received slowly faded. I let go of her hand and stepped back.

"Well, thanks for this Sadie, it has been a pleasure, how will I get into contact with you, we were meant to meet" I said, though rather unsure of myself.

"I think we were. Where do you want to go?" she asked, raising her staff.

"Camp half-blood, long Island please" I said, thinking of Annabeth

"Your path should be safe," she smiled. "You are quick to trust Jackson, I could be fooling you" she said.

"Somehow I doubt you are fooling me" I said as I walked to the sand vortex.

"I will see you again, Percy Jackson, The House will see you again I am sure. Sooner than you think"

I stepped through the portal, wondering who she was and what she did.