A/N: Honestly I wasn't planning on publishing this today, but I did anyway, oh well. Have any of you got the book yet? I've only re-read the first chapter (I read the real thing when The Son of Sobek came out on kindle with a sneak-peak). It's pretty good so far (but why can't it be told from Nico's limited third person POV? WHY!?). But what do you think? (please don't give me any spoilers!) Seriously, I really care what you say (flames are accepted) but review! Oh I'm going to keep posting for this story until it's done (or at leas I'm planning to).

Disclaimer: There is a book in stores with the same name, and characters. I just wrote this waiting for it. Besides, why would this be on here once the book was in paper? I'd be losing money! Who'd do that?


III. Nico

Nico woke up maybe a minute later. That other guy was gone, but it seemed to be lighter out. Maybe it wasn't a minute. The boat rocked. Nico walked over to the rail. Apparently the boat had gotten farther to the ground than he thought. Ten feet below the bottom of the boat, was the ground. On the ground, was what looked like a sea of dracaenae.

"You took our priz-sssse!" (1) One yelled when she saw Nico. "We worked hard for it!" Nico heard feet rushing up the stairs. "What was that?" Jason asked Nico. It looked like he had been rolling around in a fire pit when a fire was lit. His shirt was black and scorched, one leg of his pants had been burned off and his hair looked like it lost a fight with a flamethrower. "Uh, a lot of dracaenae." Nico replied. The Argo II rocked again.

Jason raced over. When he was at the edge, looking down he mumbled, "That is a lot." A second went by, then another. Finally Jason asked, "What do we do?" Nico already had an idea, but here were two problems with it. First, he needed to be on the ground, and second, it might kill him or just not work. Oh well...

"Just distract them, okay?" "Why what are you going to do?" "Either, kill myself, nothing, or get rid of them." Nico answered cheerfully. Jason probably would have replied something like "no" but Nico was running to get a rope ladder he saw. As soon as he got it out he saw someone had tied it up, way too good.

Boom! It sounded like Jason just blasted some unlucky dracaenae to dust. Nico started untying the rope ladder. "A ssssssson of Zeussssssssss! Much better than the other one! Kronusssssssss will be sssssssssssso pleasssssssssssed!" a random dracaenae called to Jason. "Quiet, you fool!" Another scolded the first. The dracaenae were all trying to get a look at Jason, so none were at the left side of the boat. Nico attached the ladder to the side of the ship. Boom! The dracaenae all got very enthusiastic after that bolt was gone. They rocked the boat even more. Carefully Nico lowered himself onto the ladder. He started to descend, but the boat was rocking so hard he could barely hold on. "Sssssssssssssssson of Zeusssssssssssssss come down and we'll leave your ship alone!" "Yessssssssssssss we'll take you in chainsssssssssssss to Kronussssssssssssssss, and leave you're ship alone!" "Haven't you heard what happened to Saturn yet ladies?" Nico could hear the weariness in Jason's voice. He couldn't keep it up much longer. The rocking stopped for a moment. Nico took advantage to the dracaenae's brief confusion and climbed faster.

His feet hit the ground. The ground was like quicksand, sucking his feet in. He tried to concentrate and find some dead person or vicious animal. Nothing. The ground was already up to his knees. He spread out his range. About a half a mile away was... well something, but it'd be very slow. He'd have to call it over to him, which might take a while. He tried anyway. It was a group of dead people. Good. He was up to his waist already in earth. Bad.

Boom! Lightning arched in the sky, but Nico had to concentrate. You will not save them. When the time comes. Nico would have jumped if he weren't covered in earth up to his armpits. It was the voice of Gaia.

Finally about on hundred skeletons popped out of the earth and attacked the dracaenae. It would have been hopeless if they could die, but these were skeletons, they can't die. Most of the dacaenae were gone already when Nico's head went under the earth.


(1) I'm not sure if this is how you'd really spell this so just go with it

How was it? Seriously flame me if it's bad! I need to know! Oh and I know it's pretty short, I just needed this cliff. Next chapter tomorrow!