I'm so sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy with a writer's block (annoying because I rarely get them) and some other things. I'm going to switch it between 3rd person and 1st person depending on whose point of view it is. (Like Percy, Annabeth, Carter and Sadie as first person and whoever else as third).
I hope you guys enjoy this. I promise it will NOT take me this long to update again.
LEO
CHAPTER FOUR
Leo wasn't sure what to make of it.
So the kid was a demigod? Did that make Felix Greek and Egyptian? He didn't know. That was not the only thing to weigh on his mind, though. His project, that long six month surprise project for Calypso, was done. Everyone else knew what it was except for her, just to make her even more frustrated and excited to find out what it was.
Luckily for Calypso, Leo knew that the project was done. By now it was powered up and running, ready to join the party again. He fidgeted with his tool belt, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Finally he couldn't bear it anymore. He sneaked behind Calypso and took her hand. "Come on!" He said. "The surprise is ready."
Calypso tried to hid it, but she was clearly overjoyed to hear it. She nodded and followed him through the forest, down a path Leo had beaten to life over the past year and half; while building the Argo II, and his new project. They left the tree line and reached a towering cliff-face. Calypso rolled her eyes (a habit she had recently picked up, no thanks to Annabeth). "Why am I not surprised that it's Bunker 9?"
Leo grinned. "Because my awesomeness never fails."
She pushed his arm with a smile and forged ahead of him. "Well, what's the big surprise? I don't see any huge automaton monsters leaping at me."
He placed his hand on the cliff face, and a freakishly large door slowly swung open, so silent he though there must have been nymphs for the hinges to oil them. He tried to suppress another grin, to no avail. He led her in and the lights automatically turned on, illuminating the bunker. Blueprints and vague sketches were hung on the walls, with tables filled with enough nuts and bolts to last Leo and several other Leos a lifetime. But there was one alcove that did not light up. It remained as dark and shadowy as ink. Suddenly two bright red circular lights pricked the darkness like eyes.
Calypso froze, while Leo put a look of shock on his face. Oh, he was so cruel.
The eyes rose much higher, as if the mountainous body it belonged to was standing. A series of strange clicks and whirs came from the alcove as a brilliant bronze plated dragon crawled out gracefully. It stood before them and spread its wings in an immense coppery canopy above them. Calypso let out a startled squeak and backed away, ready to dart.
Leo grinned, decided to end the moment. "Hey, Festus!" He yelled. "You're all whole again!" Leo could help but feel his throat tighten with joy as Festus admired his new body. He remembered when his amazingly awesome dragon have been zapped out of the sky by that witch of a goddess Khione, and Midas's lazers had torn the dragon apart. "Welcome back." He whispered.
Calypso seemed to understand Leo's expression. "I have never seen a feat like this," she said in awe.
Leo shrugged, a moment of modesty. "Hey, it's been done before. Figured I could jerry-rig a dragon body." He gave a large smile. "But then again, I am Leo Valdez. What do you expect?"
She groaned. There's the Leo she knew. She held out her hand for Festus. The dragon crept closer, and she touched his snout, admiring the way his plating shined. That when Leo clapped his hands and said, "well, I guess there's only one more thing to do!"
"And what is that?" She asked, dreading the answer.
"We take Festus for a joyride, duh!" He bounded onto Festus's back like he was born to ride. He noticed her hesitant look, and offered her his hand. "Oh, it's not that scary. Trust me, even if we do fall we'll survive. I've done plenty of times."
Calypso took his hand, but she was afraid he was not joking. He didn't sound like it. She clung to the bronze plating, while Leo took the reigns. "I have installed any seat belts yet, but don't worry. You won't fall." Leo said, knowing full on that she would worry.
She let out a surprised gasp when Festus took a flying leap out of Bunker 9, and with a powerful swipe of his wings lift off the ground, into the sky. They passed through the tree line and burst out above the forest. Rising higher and higher into the clouds, Calypso abandoned the bronze plates and clung onto Leo for dear life. They leveled out above the clouds, Festus's wings held out horizontally either way.
When she was sure that she was going to fall off and become a goddess-sized grease spot on the ground, she opened her eyes. Slowly, she unwound her arms from around Leo. Wind blew her hair back and Leo's into her face. She batted his head away and leaned back, looking down even though her knew she shouldn't have.
The earth was hundreds of feet below them, and Camp Half-Blood looked like a spot on the ground. She looked ahead in awe, watching the horizon gently slope down. The Earth is round, she thought giddily.
Leo glanced back at her, a smile playing across his face. He decided to let her enjoy the view before he did something really, really mean. He could remember the day when the gods let her go. It was, without any argument, the best day of his life. Well, that and the day he watch Gaea die. It was a close tie. He remembered everything with such clarity it could have happened that day.
Flashback:
The seven of the prophecy, with Nico and Thalia had stood in the throne room of gods, waiting for their godly parent to call them out. Percy and Annabeth looked a little bored, like this had happened before. Hephaestus called Leo to him, and he had marched to his god-sized failure of a father. "Leo," Hephaestus had said. "I know I haven't been the most . . . interactive father, but you have made me very proud. You used your wits, strength, intelligence and courage to succeed at everything you put your mind to. You have truly outdone yourself over the past year."
Images passed though his head: Echo standing over Narcissus at the pond, Festus falling out of the sky and exploding, Percy and Annabeth falling into Tartarus, Calypso standing on the beach of Ogygia. He was pretty sure that he had failed more than he succeeded.
" . . . and I think you deserve it." Hephaestus was still talking. "Boy?" He snapped. "Are you listening to me?"
Leo jerked out of his reverie. "Y-yes! Present and accounted for."
"I was saying, that I swear on the river Styx to grant you any wish, within reason." Hephaestus seemed to have to force the words out.
Leo stood there, stunned. There was a crowd of wishes that stood up and screamed at the same time. Well, he wouldn't mind having Festus back, but there was one wish that stood out right in the front row. It had Calypso's face. "Remember the promise Percy made all of the gods take?" He asked.
Hephaestus shifted uncomfortably. "Um, yes?"
"You need to let Calypso go!" He blurted out. "Let her free. Let her go where she wants to go."
"That is your wish?" The god of forges looked immensely relieved.
Leo smirked. "What do you think I was going to ask? Dance around in pink boxers?" The picture was horrible.
Hephaestus scowled. "Watch your tongue, boy."
Then the throne room and melted away. Leo looked around in shock, to see himself on the beach in Ogygia. The broken table was still there, and so was his make-shift forge. He smiled, but it was mixed with nervousness. What if Calypso had decided she didn't like him anymore? Hephaestus appeared beside him. He looked uncomfortable, and little . . . scared?
"What?" Leo asked, making the god jump. "Afraid of her?" He was talking about Calypso, of course. The gods had promised to set her free, but they never got around to doing it. He supposed she might not be so nice to them.
"Well, son, you see -"
"LEO!" A voice cried out.
Leo whirled around, just in time to get tackled by Calypso. She flung her arms around him, nearly crushing his ribs. "Can't . . . breathe!" He choked. She loosened her arms, blushing profusely.
"I thought you would never come back." She smiled.
"You were wrong," Leo grinned back.
Calypso leaned forward and kissed him, and it was so much better than the kiss on the magic raft. They didn't realize they clinging to each other until Hephaestus cleared his throat, looking highly affronted. Leo flushed even worse than Calypso, but that didn't mean he hadn't enjoyed it.
Unfortunately for Hephaestus, Calypso noticed him. She stomped over to him, pointing a finger in his face. "You were supposed to let me go!" She snapped. "And you didn't!"
"I-uh -" But he was cut off again.
"This whole time, I was waiting. I would have helped in the giant war! I would have sided with the gods! But no, you had to wait around and keep me here! You swore on the river Styx!" She ranted.
Finally she stopped for breath and the god leapt on the time he had to speak. "You could have left! We took the barriers that . . . kept you in away."
Calypso stared at him, realization dawning on her face. "You mean, this whole time, the barriers have been down, and you never told me?" Hephaestus was in now way endearing himself to the angry goddess.
Leo had had to step in and smooth it over before it turned into a full-on fight. He managed to calm the two gods down, and convince Calypso that his father was not that bad. He didn't really care if she was angry at Hephaestus, all he wanted was to take Calypso away from this island.
It had been amazing when he had gotten her to leave, and they had strolled into the throne room of the gods. Poseidon was trying to tell Percy that Leo hadn't been abducted. Annabeth, as always, was arguing with her mother about Percy's usefulness. Jason stood awkwardly by his dad, and Piper was doing her best not to be noticed by Aphrodite. Frank and Hazel were still in shock, stumbling around while the idea that they were in Olympus fully sank in. Nico was with his dad in the shadows, watching everything play out quietly.
Calypso was clinging to his arm, practically terrified. It wasn't the gods she was afraid of, though. She was afraid that the other demigods that Leo was taking her to live with would not like her. Leo had smiled, how could they not like Calypso?
Present:
Leo was snapped out of his memories by Calypso. She was pointing and crying out at something flying up to meet them. He looked down and saw another dragon soaring up into the clouds. He swallowed nervously, hoping he was right about who this dragon was. The other dragon came level with them, circling around, before rising above them and morphing into a teenage boy.
Frank landed behind Calypso, his eyes wide. "You have a dragon?" He gasped.
"Sure do, Frankie boy." Leo said, smirking because he knew it irritated Frank.
Frank hesitated, scowling. "You might want to land. The others might think you're a threat."
"I doubt it," Leo said, but began to descend anyway. Then his previous mean idea came back to him. "Hey amigo! Hold on really tight back there would you? Wouldn't want you to get aplanado!" He grabbed Calypso's hands and pulled them around his waist. "Hold on, okay?" He said a little more sincerely to her. She clasped her hands tightly as Leo patted Festus's side.
He grinned. "Why don't you take us down. Nice and fast!" Before he other two passengers could protest, Festus nose dived. A shriek escaped from Calypso and Frank cursed like Arion. They speed to the ground so fast, Leo though he face might fall off. Right before they hit the ground, Festus unfurled his wings and spread them out, slowing them to a glide over the earth. Then he landed.
He slid off of Festus, grinning like a mad man and stumbling around. Calypso practically fell off after him, giggling hysterically. Frank looked like he might be sick.
Leo sat down, dizzy. Calypso sat down next to him, equally shaken. "Never, ever, ever do that again!" She said.
He laughed. "Come on. That was fun, admit it!"
"Never!" Calypso said.
"You sure you don't want to do it just one more time?" He asked her.
"Maybe . . . never," Calypso smiled. Before Leo could complain she leaned closer and kissed him. It was amazing how fast Leo could forget about plummeting to his death. She pulled away, and he grinned.
Leo looked behind her and saw the other campers and magicians heading their way. He stood, still a little wobbly. He held out a hand for Calypso and helped her up. He walked next to Festus, half protective, half with pride. One of the magicians - Sadie Kane - ran ahead of the others. Her brother followed her, like he was afraid she might do something stupid.
Sadie gazed at the dragon. "Oh, forget the bloody pegasus. I want a ride on the dragon!"
Leo grinned, pleased that someone was impressed. "His name is Festus."
Her brother frowned. "Your dragon is called happy? You ride on happy the dragon?"
Leo pointed a finger at Carter. "Hey! I already got beaten on that one by Jason."
The rest of the campers and magicians caught up and circled around Festus. Jason patted Festus's side. "Well, Leo. I'll give it to you: you've outdone yourself."
"'Course I have," Leo said.
"You aren't very humble," Carter noted.
"I'm completely humble. Humbleness is my middle name." Leo said, his smile getting bigger.
"Seriously?" Carter grumbled.
Then a shout rang out from the crowd. Three roman eagles were spotted flying in the sky, each carrying riders. The eagles descended and landed, letting Reyna, Annabeth and Hazel off. The three quickly made their way over. Annabeth quickly surveyed the situation and decided Sadie and Carter were of more importance.
"Are you the two leading magicians?" She asked.
Sadie nodded. "Technically Carter is pharaoh of the universe or something, but everyone knows that I'm really in charge."
Carter glared at her. "I'm Carter -"
"Kane," Annabeth finished. "And you must be Sadie. I'm Annabeth Chase." She turned to Sadie. "So what is going on? Percy tried to explain but . . . well let's just say he wasn't too clear."
Sadie snickered, but tried to relate to Annabeth what happened with the demons and Setne. Carter jumped in a took over for the parts Sadie wasn't sure about. "One thing is for sure," Carter said. "Setne and whoever in his league is up to no good."
Leo watched Annabeth purse her lips. Uh-oh. Time for a long and comprehensible speech about absolutely nothing. He sighed and waited for the blow. Instead, she simply said, "I don't know."
Leo gaped at her. "Did. She. Just. Say that?"
"Shut up, Leo," Annabeth snapped. "How can I know? Do we have any leads?"
Carter was all too happy to speak up. "We aren't sure yet. We'd have to go back to the 21st nome and do some scrying -"
"What is scrying?" Leo asked.
"- and look for any unusual magical disturbances." He finished.
Annabeth nodded. Leo was surprised on how fast she hit it off with the Egyptians. She was good at talking to people. "That's fine. Maybe we should send some of our campers through with you."
"Oh, me!" Leo said loudly, holding up his hand. "Pick me!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Perhaps me, Leo - don't say a word - and Reyna or Frank? Reyna and Frank are the two Praetors of 12th legion of Rome, so it seems right."
Reyna nodded. "Send Frank. He needs to get out more and prove himself."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "He's all the way across the country. What do you want him to do? Go to Africa?" He imagined Frank frolicking in the tall grass with the wildebeests and smirked.
Leo clapped his hands and got back on Festus. "So! We have a plan: you guys do you your crying or whatever -"
"Scrying!" Sadie interrupted.
"- yeah whatever- and then we head off in the Argo II to look for it!" He finished.
Annabeth shrugged. "Guess that kind of sums it up."
Sadie and Carter nodded. "Let us find Alyssa. She has to stone artifact we need to get back to the 21st nome." Without further words they turned and walked up the hill back into camp.
Annabeth glared meaningfully at Leo. "Don't you have anything you need to get ready? Perhaps you should put Festus away for now."
Leo scowled at her. "You know, Festus isn't an 'it'. I don't 'put him away', I take him home."
"Oh. Okay, whatever." She started up the hill. "Do you know where Percy is?"
"Eating. Duh."
"Of course."
So what do you think? Good, okay, absolutely terrible? It felt pretty weak to me.
So I've been for getting to do disclaimers so here it goes...*shaking like Bilbo handing of the The Ring* All rights of the characters, ideas, blah blah blah goes to Rick Riordan. There, Happy? :D
