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.

4. Chapter 4

It's nearly six in the morning, why aren't I in bed? I seem to have this problem a lot whenever I get sick. Anyways, I'm updating this a little earlier for luckyducky, since she was dying to know about Percy and Poseidon's reunion, and something about dragons. There are dragons in this story? Holy crap! Why am I awake? I also have the song from the new trailer of Mad Men stuck in my head. I may watch me some of that. Also, this chapter is a little shorter than the last few chapters. It's actually short in general for my chapters lately.

I've also made the decision to never do a fic like this again, or Shadows. No more magical fairytale based in ye olde times. I think I want to do more stuff like Children of Loss, character driven stories. I am going to do my best to stick both of these stories out and finish them, though. But I might shift a lot of my focus onto Children for a while. And I had to push back Genesis. I had originally planned on putting it out this week, but I have to rewrite chapters two and three, so it'll be a little longer. I think that's all the news I have for now. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Warning: Sexual situations. Language. Violence.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4

Nico blinked in surprise after hearing Poseidon's revelation. Hadn't his son been dead? And, yet, here the boy was, standing in front of them. The very same boy that Nico had bumped into in the capital. And who also happened to be a Rider.

Percy scratched his head as Poseidon slowly approached. Anaklusma growled at the man and he came to a stop. "Percy?" Poseidon whispered.

Percy's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember my father."

Nico pursed his lips. The two did look alike. One key difference, though, was that Poseidon had a beard, while Percy had no traces of facial hair. They also spoke differently. There was something in Percy's voice, an odd accent that Nico had never heard before. Yet, it sounded somehow familiar. It was very similar to the way Cerberus sounded when he spoke to Nico in his head, but different somehow.

Nico's eyes flickered back over to this boy that Poseidon thought was his son. "I thought your son was dead?"

Poseidon frowned, but didn't pull his gaze away from Percy's confused face. "Perhaps it wasn't him." He reached out for Percy again, only to have the boy smack the hand away. "It was just a burnt body. Perhaps it wasn't Percy's."

"Or perhaps you're mistaken," Percy reasoned, glaring at Poseidon, silently warning him to stop trying to touch him.

And then, something surprising happened. Percy's dragon actually opened her mouth and began speaking, though Nico couldn't understand it. The language felt old and powerful. The voice was deep for a dragon that was supposed to be female. Although, Nico wasn't quite sure how a female dragon was supposed to sound. It was guttural and resonant.

Percy then turned his head and frowned at his dragon. And it confused Nico. It was like the Rider actually understood the dragon. He then opened his mouth and began speaking in the same speech as his dragon, his voice growing deeper.

Nico turned his head to Cerberus, who had his head tilted to the side. The two looked at each other for a moment, both wondering the same thing. Could these two really communicate with each other outside of the Rider link?

"Can you understand them?" Nico asked Cerberus through their mental link.

"Not particularly. I catch a few words here and there, but the dialect isn't familiar to me."

Nico blew out a breath. He clicked his tongue before taking a step forward and clearing his throat. "Not to put a damper on this already...heart-warming reunion, but we should probably get into the mountains," he reasoned. He pursed his lips when Percy's eyes traveled back over to him and roamed down his body once. He let out a sigh. He could already tell that there were going to be problems between the two of them.

Poseidon slowly nodded, taking a step back from Percy. "He's right. After all of that back at the capital, the two of you, no doubt, attracted the attention of the king." The man made his way back over to Cerberus. "He doesn't need to get his hands on either of you." He turned to frown at Percy. "I already discussed this with Nico, but I think you should hear this too. I think that it is best if you stay away from the king until you are ready to face him."

Percy's eyes narrowed at the man. "You have no right to tell me what to do."

Poseidon locked his jaw. "I am your father, whether you choose to believe it or not."

Percy's fists tightened at his side. "If you are my father, then you abandoned me. You gave up on me, and for him!" The green-eyed Rider jutted an accusatory finger in Nico's direction.

"I thought you were dead," Poseidon hissed.

Nico sighed. "Seriously, we need to move. We can have this dysfunctional family meeting later."

Cerberus and Anaklusma both lowered themselves to allow their Riders to climb on. Both dragon shot into the air and Cerberus led them towards the mountains in the distance. Nico let out a heavy breath as they flew. What did all of this mean for them now?

"Do you really think he's your son?" Nico asked.

He could almost feel Poseidon frowning behind him. "I'm positive. I know my son, even if it has been six years."

"He does look just like you." Nico hoped that would cheer the man up. He didn't like it when his mentor was depressed. He thought the man worried too much. Nico licked his lips and furrowed his brow. "Are we going to take him to the rebels? He said he was looking for them."

Poseidon was silent for a moment. "I do want to take him to Valterossa. Two Riders will be better than one."

Nico clicked his tongue. "But we don't know anything about this guy," he reasoned, turning around slightly to give Poseidon a look. "He could be dangerous. What if he's a spy?"

Poseidon chuckled. "For who? I doubt he's a spy for the king. Like Iris said, we have someone on the inside. I'm sure we would have been notified. Not to mention that Kronos probably would have already attempted to crush the rebels, or Rosalia."

Cerberus turned his head to look at Nico with his left eye. "You're just bothered by the fact that he knew you for less than a minute before trying to get into your pants."

Nico glared at his dragon before the beast turned his head back around. They touched down on a cliff on one of the mountains that surrounded Valterossa like a large forest. They could see the forest that they had just crossed over below them. Nico slid off the back of his dragon, Poseidon following along behind him. Percy and his dragon landed next to him and the Rider jumped off his dragon's back.

Nico watched as the Rider crouched down and went through a sack that he pulled off with him. The boy pulled out a few jewels and laid them out in front of Anaklusma, and the dragon swept them up with her claw, gathering them in a pile. Nico scratched his head and turned to Cerberus, who just grunted.

"How come I never see you play with treasure?" Nico asked.

Cerberus blew out smoke through his nostrils. "Because I have better things to do with my time."

Nico turned his head and his eyes widened, suddenly finding Percy in front of him. The boy had a grin on his face as he tilted his head to the side and stared down at Nico. The brown-eyed Rider shoved the other Rider's chest, causing him to stumble back. Percy bit down on his lip, his eyes dilating.

Nico glared at him. "If you touch me in my sleep, I will cut off your cock."

Percy chuckled. "You're more than welcome to try."

Poseidon let out a sigh as he walked between the two Riders. "We're going to need some food and firewood," he announced, seemingly unaware of the issues Nico was having with their new addition. "Cerberus, would you mind going hunting? And you could take me down to get some firewood."

Percy frowned as Cerberus lowered himself so that Poseidon could climb onto his back. He ran his tongue along his teeth with a cold look on his face. "I think Ana and I will go hunting as well."

Poseidon's eyebrows rose. "That's all right, son, Cerberus usually brings back plenty."

If looks could kill, Poseidon would have been dead from the look Percy gave him. The boy's nostrils flared. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. After all, I didn't have a dad around to do anything for me. Now, like I said, Ana and I will be hunting as well." He brushed past Nico rather roughly, whispering, "Lazy Rider."

Nico glared at the green-eyed boy's back as he climbed onto his dragon and flew off into the woods below. Poseidon frowned to himself before following after him on Cerberus. Nico huffed and sat down with his back against a bolder. He could already tell that this was such a great idea.

Nico let out a sigh, realizing that he probably should have gone with him. Now he was all alone. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the rock behind him, opening his mental link with Cerberus. "I don't think I was doing a lot of thinking when I let you all fly off without me."

He heard his dragon's rumbling laughter in his head. "Would you like me to turn around and come get you?"

Nico scrunched his lips. "No, I'll be all right. Just don't take too long. I don't want to be here alone when Percy returns."

"Afraid he's going to molest you?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Afraid he's going to try. I'm not sure he's intelligent enough to know what I mean when I say no."

Cerberus sighed exasperatedly. "Neither of them seem of high intellect. Did you see what his dragon was wearing? So fearsome."

Nico couldn't help but smile. "You don't think she's a pretty dragon?" He asked in amusement. "Because, you know, you're probably going to have to mate with her, so we can have more dragon eggs."

There was a long pause, and Nico wondered if Cerberus was ignoring him. He finally received a grunt. "She'll have to lose all the jewelry, and I'll need to be heavily intoxicated."

Nico chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't think Chiron will be willing to provide you with the wine, considering the time you raided their storage and were found amongst empty and broken barrels of the stuff."

Cerberus grunted again. "I wanted to know what you humans' fascination with the substance was all about." There was a pause. "And if I do recall correctly, you were on the floor beside me."

Nico smiled and placed his hands behind his head. "That was a fun night."

"Well, I've got the food. I'm going to round up the old man and head back now," Cerberus announced.

About a minute later, Nico heard the flapping of wings below the cliff. He stood up, expecting it to be Cerberus and Poseidon, only to be disappointed when Percy and his dragon flew up and landed. Anaklusma tossed three deer she had killed over by her small pile of jewels. Percy lugged a deer for himself across the ground.

Nico walked over to the other boy as he began cutting chunks of meat from the deer. He arched an eyebrow at the crouched Rider's back. "Isn't that a lot of food, just for one person?"

Percy turned his head slightly to glare at Nico, who blinked at him in mild surprise. "Don't touch my food," the taller Rider growled.

Nico rolled his eyes. "And what are you going to do if I do?" He moved a hand to act like he was going to try grabbing one of the slices Percy had cut off. He had no real intention of bothering the food, but he wasn't going to let this new Rider tell him what he could or couldn't do. "I'm not sca-"

Percy's hand shot out and grabbed Nico's wrist. Nico's eyes widened as he was flung onto his back. He stared up at Percy, who had climbed on top of him and now held a knife to his throat. "Don't. Touch. My. Food."

Nico narrowed his eyes at Percy. With another thundering gust of wind, Cerberus landed with Poseidon. The man climbed off rather quickly, having noticed the two squabbling Riders. "What is going on here?" He demanded.

Percy didn't budge. Nico's hand shot up and grabbed the hand that held the knife. After getting a firm hold on it, he flipped Percy over his head, where he landed on his back. Nico stood up and brushed himself off. "Just bonding."

Poseidon arched an eyebrow and looked behind Nico. He seemed interested in something, so Nico turned around. He yelped as he was tackled by Percy, who pinned his hands above his head. Nico squirmed under him, but was unable to free his hands. Percy just stared down at him with distant and cold eyes.

The taller Rider's eyes roamed down to Nico's stomach, where some skin was being exposed. Nico narrowed his eyes and attempted to kick Percy off of him again, but failed. Percy smirked down at him before placing a hand on Nico's pale stomach.

They both looked up when Poseidon cleared his throat. "If you two are quite through, we need to eat."

Percy smirked down at Nico again before releasing the brown-eyed boy's hands and climbing off. Nico rubbed his wrists as he scowled at Percy. Poseidon had already managed putting together a small fire, and had begun cooking some of their food.

Percy picked up a stick and walked over to where he had left his food. He skewered each piece of meat before walking over to the fire and sitting down. Anaklusma was curled up not far behind Percy, scarfing down her food. Cerberus grunted at her from behind Nico before returning to his own meal.

"I don't like him," Nico informed his dragon.

"His dragon isn't much better," Cerberus replied. Nico glanced back over to the blue and white dragon. "Riders' dragons are supposed to wear armor, not jewelry."

Nico smirked to himself. "You don't think she looks terrifying?"

Cerberus flicked his tail. "I'm positively shaking. I'm sure she terrifies all who opposes her." The red dragon narrowed his eyes at the other dragon before snorting. Anaklusma raised her head and growled at him. "What a pretty princess you are, pretty maiden."

The black slits in Anaklusma's eyes shrank until they were thin lines. She shot onto her feet and roared at Cerberus, who only swished his tail back and forth, giving her a dull look. Percy frowned at the two of them.

All three of the humans ducked as fire flew out of Anaklusma's mouth and shot across the fire. Cerberus opened his mouth and released his own torrent of fire. The two dragons moved towards the other, while their flames clashed in the center. Poseidon scowled at both young Riders. "Call them off!"

Percy frowned at Nico. "My dragon wasn't the one who started it. Cerberus shouldn't go around insulting my dragon."

Anaklusma swiped her claw at Cerberus, catching him across the side. The red dragon roared in pain before trying to take off. Anaklusma swiped her tail out and caught him in the air, knocking him into the side of the mountain.

"I said enough!" Poseidon yelled, but the dragons didn't seem to be listening. The man turned to both of the Riders. "Call them off. Now!"

Nico sighed. "Can you two please calm down?"

Cerberus shot into the air and Anaklusma followed after him. "I'm trying not to get killed right now, Nico. It seems she wants to 'bite off my head and use it as a crown'."

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to glare at Percy, who had gone back to eating. They both looked up as Anaklusma roared in pain. Apparently, Cerberus had rammed her from the side. Now that he wasn't weighed down by Nico, Poseidon, and their supplies, the dragon was making good use of his speed.

As he made an attempt to circle around, Anaklusma kicked him in the snout with her hind leg. Cerberus growled and snapped at her leg. Anaklusma turned around to land another blow to him, but Nico's dragon had already taken off into the night sky. Percy's dragon roared and flew off into the clouds after him.

Nico sat down with a sigh. "She better not kill Cerberus," he growled.

Percy shrugged. "Maybe your dragon should learn how to fight, instead of running off."

Nico glared at the other Rider. "He knows how to fight just fine! And he's not running! He's faster, and he knows it."

Percy was about to open his mouth, when a roar and fire could be heard overhead. They looked up to see flames shooting around in the clouds. Anaklusma roared in pain. Percy's brow furrowed. He turned a cold gaze on Nico. "Tell your dragon to fight fair."

Nico smirked and stuck out his tongue. "It's called strategy. Perhaps your dragon should learn it."

Poseidon sat down between them with an exasperated sigh. "Percy, please call off your dragon. I know for a fact that Cerberus will yield if she backs off."

Percy glared at the man for a moment before taking a bite of his food. "Yield? Why? She's stronger than him."

Poseidon glared at his son. "Just do as you're told."

The green-eyed Rider chuckled coldly. "You're not my dad, sorry to tell you. And, even if you are, you have no authority over me." He stood up with his food and glared down at Poseidon. "So don't tell me what to do. The sooner we get to the rebels, the sooner I can be away from you." With that, he walked over to where Anaklusma had been eating.

Nico sighed as he looked at the hurt look on Poseidon's face. He turned a cold stare on Percy. "Just do as he asked. Either way their fight goes, the rebels probably won't take you if you don't stop it now."

Percy glared at Nico as he took a bite of his food, but didn't respond.

Nico shook his head in frustration. "If my dragon kills yours, then the rebels have less of a use for you. That, and you lose your dragon. If she kills mine, do you really think they are going to let you join them? They won't take you if your dragon runs the risk of eating them for the littlest thing."

Percy glared back at Nico with a look that could freeze a volcano. He locked his jaw and finally looked away. "Whatever," he mumbled under his breath.

Nico breathed a sigh of relief when the sounds of fighting above them finally came to an end. Anaklusma flew down first, curling up around Percy. They both looked her wounds over, while Cerberus descended from the sky.

Nico sighed as he got a look at him. He had a claw mark on his side, a cut on the side of his skull, and a deep-looking gash on his leg. Nico shook his head with a frown and sat his food down. He stood up and walked over to his dragon, where he knelt down at his side.

He caught his dragon's eye. "No more fights. Please? I don't like it when you get hurt like this, and I don't want to see how bad she might hurt you next time."

Cerberus's tail moved out to brush against Nico's cheek. "It's just a scratch."

Nico smiled and held his hands out over the dragon's leg. "Well, I suppose I have a lot of work to do on you tonight," he whispered.

An hour later, Nico still had his hands hovering over Cerberus's body. A bright blue light emitted from his hands, while the wounds across the dragon's body began to close. He was still learning some of the words of power, and the spell for healing was one that he hadn't quite grasped yet.

A deep rumbling sounded from within Cerberus as the dragon lifted his head off the ground to stare at Nico. "You should rest, Nico. You're only hurting yourself."

Nico's breathing had grown ragged during the process. His head felt dizzy and he could feel his own life essence begin to waver. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "I'm fine," he whispered.

Cerberus stared at him for a moment longer before resting his head on the ground again. "If you don't learn your limits, you're going to kill yourself one day."

Nico felt tears burning against his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to will them away. "I'm not going to lose you."

"It was just a scratch, Nico. You worry too much." The dragon's tail snaked its way around Nico and gave his middle a squeeze. "I'm concerned for how you will react when the day comes when I truly am injured."

Nico bit down on his lip and tried to focus his attention on the wounds on Cerberus. He nearly jumped when a hand appeared in front of him and steadied his own. He looked up to find Percy watching him curiously. "What do you want?" Nico asked bitterly.

Percy released his hands and took a step back. "You're exhausting yourself." His green eyes moved to look Cerberus over. "The wounds are gone."

Nico frowned and attempted to go back to work. "He still has scars."

"Scars are the sign of a warrior. He should wear them with pride."

The brown-eyed Rider scowled up at the other. "He wouldn't have any at all if you're dragon could learn to take some criticism."

Percy smirked and shrugged. "She is a little overdramatic," he said. Anaklusma's head rose off the ground and she snorted smoke. Percy smiled at her. "But I love her anyways." The dragon narrowed her eyes before resting her head back on the ground, covering her head with her wing.

"Fascinating. Now, go back to talking with your father and leave me to my work."

Percy frowned down at Nico. "Firstly, he's not my father-"

"Yes, he is," Nico retorted. "You look just like him."

The other Rider rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyways, I'm tired of talking to him. All he did was ask me questions, wondering where I've been."

Nico shrugged, rubbing Cerberus's scales, wanting to make sure all the scars were gone. "Can't blame him. You were gone for six years." Nico finally looked up at Percy. "He thought you were dead."

Percy blew out a breath. "I've taken care of myself. I don't need him, even if he is my father."

Nico eyed Percy curiously. "Where were you anyways? If you weren't killed, then you seemingly just disappeared with your dragon...for six years."

The green-eyed boy stared down at Nico blankly. "I was busy."

Nico stared at Percy for a moment before shrugging. "Whatever. You should tell your father, though."

"No."

The shorter Rider rolled his eyes and stood up. He placed a hand on Cerberus's side and turned to face Percy, who still was standing there beside him. Nico arched a brow. "Is there something else?"

Percy maneuvered closer, invading Nico's personal space. The shorter Rider arched an eyebrow at him and took a step back. "I was thinking you and I could...get to know each other a little better, since we are going to have to be working together."

Nico's hand shot up and pressed against Percy's face as the taller Rider made a move to lean in towards Nico. The brown-eyed boy grimaced and pulled his hand back when he felt Percy's lips kiss his palm. He made a face and shook his hand.

"I thought I told you I wasn't interested," Nico reminded him.

Percy bit down on his lip and grabbed the hem of Nico's pants. "But you're the only one still awake, and I need company."

Nico smacked Percy's hand away. "Go keep yourself company. You have hands."

Nico turned around to attend to Cerberus again. He let out a yelp as a hand grabbed his ass. He turned around to glare at Percy, who was grinning at him. "But you have such a nice ass. It should be put to use."

Nico glared daggers up at Percy. "First off, I'm not into guys. Second, I'm seeing someone. And, third, even if I were interested, I refuse to be on the receiving end of sex."

Percy raised a hand to attempt to grab Nico's head, only for it to be smacked away. "You know, it's kind of arousing when you're feisty."

The brown-eyed Rider nearly choked, his cheeks turning red. What did it take to get it through this guy's head that he wasn't interested? He finally huffed and crouched in front of his dragon, doing his best to spot any scars or wounds that might have remained.

"Incase you didn't notice, I have to tend to my dragon, thanks to what your dragon did to him. So go away."

But Percy didn't move. He cocked his head to the side and watched Nico inspect Cerberus. Nico's brown eyes darted to the side, watching Percy from the corner of his eye. The green-eyed Rider watched him curiously, a frown on his face. "Why do you care so much?" Percy finally asked.

Nico's brow furrowed as he turned his head fully towards Percy. "What do you mean? I love Cerberus. He's my best friend." Nico stood up and arched a brow at Percy. "Don't you feel the same about your dragon?"

Percy pursed his lips and stared at Nico with a calculating look. He finally shrugged and crossed his arms. "She's like my sister. We sort of raised each other, so we're like family."

"And what about your parents? They raised you up until you were ten, or so I hear."

The taller Rider's eyes darkened. "And then my father abandoned me. Gave up the search, so he could see to you."

Nico shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. "He thought you were dead. I saw the body that we thought was yours." He tilted his head to the side. "One of the villagers even said it was yours. How could he not believe it?"

Percy's brow furrowed. "And the egg? Did anyone not question that?"

Nico shrugged. "We thought it was taken by the soldiers," he answered.

The other Rider scowled at Nico for a moment before uncrossing his arms and turning around. "Whatever. I'm going to bed, since you're being a little girl."

Nico glared at Percy. He bent down and picked up a rock, and tossed it at Percy's head. Percy froze when the stone hit him, and he reached a hand up to press against the spot. He turned his cold green eyes on Nico before continuing on to his bedroll.

"I hate him," Nico mumbled.

Cerberus's tail swept across the ground. "Maybe you won't have to see him that much in Valterossa." The dragon's tail wrapped around Nico's middle and pulled him against his side. "You need to sleep."

Nico let out a long sigh as Cerberus's wing covered him. He curled up on the dragon's side and stared at the red wing over him. Why did they have to find this other Rider? Why did he have to be an ass? And why did he have to be such a jerk to his own father? Nico would have loved it if Poseidon were his real father, and here Percy was just pushing the man away.

He didn't want Percy around Poseidon. Nico pursed his lips. He knew he was being jealous, but he didn't care. Poseidon had been the father figure in his life for the past six years, and he didn't want to have to share with this ungrateful Rider.

---

Percy's brow furrowed as he began to wake up. He immediately became aware of a large hand resting on top of his head. His arm reached out to grab the person, hoping that Nico had finally come around, only to be met by a body much larger than Nico's.

He frowned and opened his eyes. He let out a groan as he stared up at Poseidon's smiling face. "What do you want, old man?"

Poseidon's smile instantly dropped. "You need to wake up." He stood up and let Percy sit up. "And I was hoping that you would finally tell me where you've been for the past six years."

The young Rider's face blanked as he stood up and stretched. His eyes shifted over to where Nico was bent over, packing his stuff. Poseidon cleared his throat and blocked Percy's gaze as the green-eyed boy tilted his head to get a better look at Nico's ass. He narrowed his eyes at the man claiming to be his father.

"No," Percy said simply.

Poseidon let out a heavy sigh. "Fine." He began to walk off. "I can only imagine the welcome we are going to receive when they see another dragon with us."

"Maybe they'll shoot them out of the sky," Nico mumbled as he placed his things on Cerberus's back.

Percy picked up his sword and attached it to his belt. "If that happens, I hope Ana takes you out as we crash."

The two Rider glared at each other. Poseidon finished packing his things and placed them on Cerberus. "As soon as you're finished getting your things, we can head to Valterossa," the man said.

Nico furrowed his brow. "We're not eating first?" The Rider sighed. "But there's going to be so many questions, which I don't want to have to deal with."

Poseidon shrugged his shoulders. "I'll see to it that things hurry along. Besides, we could also use baths."

Percy watched as Nico stepped up to Cerberus, who pushed his snout against Nico's stomach. The Rider held out his hand and placed it on his dragon, a smile on his face. The green-eyed Rider scrunched his lips. Last night had definitely caught him off-guard. But, then again, perhaps Nico just believed that he saw his dragon as a friend. After all, Gaea had told him that the Riders mistreated their dragons. Percy just needed to watch for any signs of mistreatment.

"Is he going to be a problem for you?" Anaklusma asked, lowering her head beside Percy. "You don't need distractions, Percy."

Percy rolled his eyes. "It's just sex. But I do want to keep an eye on him, for a multitude of reasons. I don't want him to be a problem either."

His dragon's tail wrapped around him and placed Percy on her back. "Just stay close to us," Poseidon called over to him. "And let me do the talking when we arrive."

Percy grunted as Cerberus took to the sky. Anaklusma flapped her wings and followed after the others, staying as close as possible, without colliding with the other dragon. They flew high over the mountains, and Percy could see a lake down below in a valley, surrounded by a few trees. There were a lot of mountains, the endless sea of them extending as far as Percy could see both east and to the north, into Rosalia.

They neared a taller mountain, and upon circling over it, Percy noticed an opening on the top of the mountain, like it had been hollowed out. Cerberus roared to announce their arrival before descending into the large mountain. Anaklusma dove in after him.

Percy was slightly surprised when he found the entire mountain to be hollowed out. Buildings had been built into the mountain walls, descending all the way down to the ground. A river lay at the bottom, and several more buildings lined it on both sides.

"You may want to pay better attention to other things," Anaklusma informed him.

Percy tore his eyes away from inspecting some rock that looked like it once had some precious metal embedded in it. He looked up to find soldiers staring at them as they descended, a lot of them with bows and arrows ready to be fired. A lot of yelling began to sound throughout the mountain, and Percy spotted several people making their way to where it looked like they would be landing.

Cerberus touched down in a clear space at the base of the mountain. Poseidon was already off of Nico's dragon by the time Percy landed behind them. A tall man made his way forward, followed by many soldiers and important looking people. They all dressed in nicely crafted metal armor, which Percy figured had come from the mountain. He was already beginning to question where exactly these rebels had gotten this mountain.

The tall man came to a stop in front of Poseidon, his eyes trained rather harshly on Percy, who was dismounting from his dragon. Nico hopped off of Cerberus and stood beside Poseidon. "Poseidon, would you care to explain why there is a second dragon in my city?" The tall man asked.

Another man behind the tall man eyed Percy curiously. Percy's brow furrowed as he stared at the man. He shook his head as fuzzy images of men in a familiar house popped into his mind. "Is that Percy?" The second man inquired.

Poseidon sighed. "He followed us out of the capital, said he was looking for us."

The tall man's eyes roamed between Percy and Poseidon. "He's your son? And a Rider?"

Poseidon nodded and gestured for Percy to come forward. Percy strode forward without hesitation. The guards put their hands on their swords, but took a few steps back, when Anaklusma followed after Percy.

He walked straight up to the tall man and looked him in the eye. "Are you in charge of the rebels?"

The man arched an eyebrow before nodding. "Yes. I am Chiron."

Percy nodded. "I'm Percy. It seems we have a common interest in killing Kronos."

Chiron's eyes moved over to Poseidon, who shrugged. "And why would you want to kill Kronos?" Asked a raven haired man with a beard.

"No," Percy replied bluntly.

A woman with black hair kept in a bun arched an eyebrow at him. "No? We asked you a question, you should answer."

Percy shrugged. "My business is my own. If you want my help, that's how it is going to be."

Chiron sighed. "It's all right, Athena."

A young looking blond smirked as he looked Percy over. Percy arched a brow at him before looking the blond over himself. He was thin, with very long legs. He was attractive, Percy thought. "I think we could find some uses for him," the blond finally voiced.

Nico narrowed his eyes at the blond. A girl pushed her way through the crowd and wrapped her arms around Nico's neck. She leaned up and kissed Nico on the lips. Percy's brow furrowed. This was who Nico said he was seeing? He didn't really see the appeal. Not in the girl, but in the concept of why someone would want to bind themselves to one person. It didn't make sense to him.

A tall blond stepped through the crowd and crossed his arms over his chest. His features were nicely crafted and was very attractive, in Percy's opinion. He had electric blue eyes and short blond hair that partially covered his forehead. There was a small cut on his lip and had tan skin. He looked like a warrior with muscular arms and a lean body. He was tall, around Percy's height.

"Oh joy, you're home," the newly arrived blond droned.

Nico sneered at the boy. "Nice to see you too, Jason."

Jason narrowed his eyes at Nico. "If you're quite done with my sister."

His sister pursed her lips at them. "Can you two go five minutes without fighting?"

Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose. "Zeus, can you control your children?"

The raven haired man with the beard strode forward and pried the girl off of Nico. "Thalia, Jason, you should run along."

Jason's eyes finally landed on Percy. The Rider smirked at him, bringing a light blush to the blond cheeks. Percy smirked to himself. Well, maybe there was some hope for him finding someone to have fun with around this place. His eyes moved back over to Nico. Still, he wasn't quite done trying to get Nico to come around.

Athena tapped a finger to her lips. "This is very good, Chiron. A second Rider will greatly improve things for us."

The familiar looking man from earlier sighed. "The king's dragon is still an elder dragon. It's still a great risk for them to fight him," he pointed out.

Percy frowned at the man. "I'm not weak."

Poseidon placed a hand on Percy's shoulder, but he shrugged it off. The man frowned at Percy. "Janus meant no offense, Percy."

"Whatever," Percy mumbled. "Can we eat now? I'm starving."

Poseidon looked at Chiron, who nodded. "Just make sure he comes to the council meeting in the morning."

Poseidon smiled and led Percy and Nico away. The crowd parted to allow the two dragons to follow after their Riders. Percy frowned as he turned his head to look at Anaklusma. "Where is she going to sleep?"

Poseidon turned his head to look at Percy's dragon as well. "Cerberus has taken up residence in the tunnels. She's welcome to do the same."

Percy's brow furrowed. "She can't sleep with me?"

The man chuckled. "She could, if you want your home to be crushed."

Nico pursed his lips. "Let me guess, he's going to be living with us?"

Poseidon sighed. "You two are going to have to get along. We need you both."

Percy and Nico looked at each other. The brown-eyed boy narrowed his eyes at Percy. They came to a stop in front of a sloping path. The raven haired man turned to the dragons with a smile. "Cerberus, would you please show our new dragon friend where she can rest?"

Anaklusma grunted lowly. "I want my things delivered to me later. Though, this place isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Percy smiled at her. "Yeah. It's not that different from home."

Cerberus and Anaklusma flew off down into a large looking tunnel. Poseidon cleared his throat and led Percy and Nico up the path in front of them. Percy looked around as they traveled up the path. It really wan't that different from home, but he could tell the differences between men and dragons. While it wasn't that different from home, it did have a different feel to it.

Something was off about the place. It felt old, and if the destroyed etchings on the walls were any indication, this place had possibly been used before these people had found it. Percy's eyes moved away from the stone, to linger on Nico's ass. The boy had nice hips, and an even better ass. He wondered how it looked without the clothes.

They came to a stop in front of a stone building, where the mountain had been knocked off around it, forming a rectangular shape. A wooden door had been placed in the center, while several windows with glass had been placed around the building. Poseidon opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Nico stepped in first, not even bothering to let Percy go first.

Percy stepped in behind Nico and looked around the place. A table had been set up in a corner, close to a sectioned off area that had a lot of food. Several books had been placed on shelves against another wall. Some swords, bows, crossbows, shields, and arrows were in a small open space in one of the walls.

There was a hallway directly across from the entry, leading farther into the house. Nico wasted no time in heading into it, lighting candles on the way. He opened a door, and Percy could have sworn he hard rushing water for the brief moment the door was open.

Poseidon cleared his throat. "We have an extra room that we can turn into a bedroom for you. I suppose I should go find you a bed to sleep in." He sighed and stared down the hall. "Get Nico to take you into the market for food."

Percy's brow furrowed. "I would rather go hunting."

The tall man arched an eyebrow at him. "We have plenty of money for food, but if you prefer to hunt, that's fine too." The man let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose I'll be off. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

Percy grunted as Poseidon stepped back out of the house. He looked around the place for a moment before heading down the hall. He opened one of the doors, finding a large bedroom. There were a lot of old looking books and scrolls strewn about. A sword rested by the bed. A small locket sat on the bed. Percy frowned at it. Why did it seem so familiar to him?

He sighed and closed the door. He walked down the hall and opened another door. This one was messier than the first. The bed was not made and there were a lot of open books on the bed. The occupant of the room had made no attempt to pick up some of the clothes that were strewn about on the floor. This room had a window in it, which cast a small amount of light into the room. Percy cocked his head to the side as he stared at the window.

He closed the door and headed for the door that Nico had disappeared into. He stopped to stare in amazement as he was greeted by a small pool of water and a small waterfall. An opening in the cavern was shining light down on them from overhead. Percy blinked as he spotted Cerberus and Anaklusma across the cavern, curled up on opposite sides of a large area by the pool of water.

Nico sat on ledge, staring down at the water. Percy silently walked forward and rested his shoulder against a wall in the small tunnel that they currently stood in. "Go away," Nico whispered without looking back at him.

"This is a nice place," Percy decided.

Nico sighed. "You know, I liked this spot for the privacy I got, but now I feel it's ruined."

Percy pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, debating on kicking the boy off the ledge. He sighed and looked over at the dragons. "Can I get to her from here?"

Nico nodded his head off to the side. "Down that way."

Percy moved around Nico and stared down to where the tunnel curved off. He walked down until he found a drop off point. Looking down, he spotted some rocks that acted as a ladder. "Hunting time, Ana," Percy informed his dragon as he maneuvered down to the pool of water.

The blue and white dragon perked up before flying in his direction. Percy smiled and climbed onto her back. "I thought you had forgotten."

He chuckled and looked up at Nico, who was watching him carefully. "Can we get out from up there?" He asked, pointing up to the opening in the cavern.

Nico nodded and Anaklusma took off. They flew through the opening and out of the mountain. Percy frowned and stared back at the opening. A few more years of growing, and his dragon wouldn't be able to fit through there anymore.

He smiled as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Anaklusma descended and began looking for something to hunt. "I wonder if they have anything like they do back home," she mused.

An hour later, Percy was leaning against his dragon as they ate goat. Anaklusma had already devoured most of the ones she had acquired, while Percy continued to eat the meat from his. "How do you like it so far?" Percy asked.

"It isn't so bad," the dragon said aloud, in her native tongue.

Percy sighed. "I just want to know how long it's going to take for something to get done. I hate waiting."

A low grumbling came from within Anaklusma. "If that lizard that wishes to call himself a dragon comments on my appearance again, I will tear off his wings."

Percy chuckled at her comment. "Maybe something a little less hostile?" He let out a sigh. "As much as I hate to admit it, Nico was right last night."

Anaklusma narrowed her eyes at her Rider. "Are you going to go soft for some boy?"

The raven haired boy gave her an annoyed look. "He's nothing special. All he is is another person to gain pleasure from." He smirked at his dragon. "I'm starting to think you're jealous."

The dragon snorted, her slits narrowing. "Don't flatter yourself." She grunted and turned her snout up. "No one could ever replace me."

The boy chuckled and stood up. "That's true. Anyways, we should probably head back now. I need to do some hunting of another kind."

The large dragon grunted. "I think you've finally met your match. Nico isn't going to give in."

Percy slung his arms behind his head as his dragon got to her feet. "Never say never, Ana. I always get my prey. He just needs some persuading. But, for now, I'll work on wearing him down, while pursuing someone else to satisfy myself with."

Anaklusma lowered herself so that Percy could climb onto her back. She flapped her wings, sending dirt flying around them. With a deep roar, the blue and white dragon flew into the air and headed back towards the mountain that housed Valterossa.

Upon entering the cavern, Cerberus raised his head to look at them. Anaklusma landed a few feet from him and let Percy off of her back. The red dragon grunted before curling his head in towards his body and placing a wing over his head.

Percy slung his arms behind his head casually as he walked back over to where he needed to climb up to get back into his new, temporary, house. Pulling himself up, he looked around for Nico, but was unable to find him anywhere.

Percy's brow furrowed as he made his way through the small tunnel, back into the house. As soon as the door was shut and the sound of water was gone, Percy could hear two people talking. He recognized one voice as Nico's, but was unfamiliar with the second. He could tell it was a female.

The tall Rider walked down the hall and peered into the main room. Nico stood by the table, while a girl was seated on the other side of the room. Nico's dark eyes flickered over to Percy before narrowing. "Joy, you've returned," the shorter boy mumbled.

The girl from earlier, Thalia, tapped her fingers on the back of the piece of furniture she sat on. It was long and made of wood, with some pillows on the seat and back of it. Her blue eyes darkened as she stared at Percy. She stood up and moved over to Percy, extending her hand to him. "You're that new Rider, yes? We were just talking about you."

Percy eyed her hand oddly before taking her fingers in his hand and shaking it awkwardly. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Percy," the green-eyed Rider said.

She nodded at him. "Thalia," she pursed her lips and dug her nails into Percy's wrist, "the girl that Nico is seeing."

Percy smiled at her and pulled her hand over his shoulder. "You're quite lovely."

Nico's eyes widened, while Thalia blinked at Percy in surprise. Percy smirked and moved his hand up to touch Thalia's cheek, but his wrist was grabbed by the brown-eyed Rider and tossed back to his side. "You really need to learn boundaries," Nico growled.

The green-eyed boy blinked and tilted his head to the side. "But you are being stubborn, and I need someone in order to have sex."

Nico and Thalia's cheeks tinged pink. "You can't have her," Nico barked.

Percy scrunched his lips. "What if you both participate?"

Nico choked and stumbled backwards. "No!" He sighed and rubbed his temple. "How can you not get this? Where have you been for the past six years?"

"We've already been over this."

Nico's eye twitched. "That's not what I meant!" He gave a heavy sigh. "I just meant that most people understand that things like this are not okay."

Thalia nodded her head. "Like flirting with Nico. I do not approve of that." Her forehead wrinkled. "And I'm definitely not okay with being flirted with by someone flirting him."

Percy rubbed the back of his head. "Well, what about that brother of yours?"

Two pairs of eyes in front of him widened. "Do you have any shame?" Nico sighed exasperatedly.

The green-eyed boy scratched his cheek. "What's that?"

The brown-eyed Rider sighed and smacked his forehead. "You've got to be kidding me."

Percy arched his eyebrow, his head falling to the side. "I don't think I am. What was the joke?"

There was a knock at the door. Nico sighed and shook his head at Percy before turning around to walk over to answer it. Percy's eyes traveled down to stare at Nico's ass. Thalia narrowed her eyes and smacked his arm. "Stop that," she hissed.

Percy frowned at her. "But it's there for me to stare at. How is it that I'm forbidden from doing so?"

Nico growled as he opened the door. The slender blond from earlier stood in the doorway, a cocky smirk on his face. His blue eyes moved past Nico to stare at Percy. "Ah, there he is," the blond said, pushing past Nico.

"Go away, Octavian," Nico huffed.

Octavian smiled and held his hand out towards Percy, who grabbed the side of the pale hand and shook it back and forth. The blond pulled his hand back and gave the green-eyed boy an odd look. "Uh, the name is Octavian, and I'm one of the council members."

The Rider nodded. "Percy."

"Wonderful." Octavian grinned at Percy, looking him up and down. "I think I'm going to enjoy working with you. It's so refreshing to have a new Rider around here. Nico isn't very enjoyable company."

Percy's eyes drifted over to Nico, giving him a questioning look. The brown-eyed Rider narrowed his eyes at the blond. "Octavian," he growled warningly, "if you try anything-"

The blond laughed. "Relax, Nico. I mean him no harm. I just want to show him our good hospitality."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Like you tried showing Nico when he first got here?" She placed her hands on her hips. "He was thirteen, Octavian!"

"Nothing happened, Thalia." Nico let out a sigh and rubbed his arm. "Can you please leave, Octavian?"

The blond hummed. "Isn't that up to Percy?"

Nico's brown eyes seemed to turn black. Percy shrugged. "I was going to head out anyways," the green-eyed Rider announced.

Everyone turned to look at him. "You were?" Nico asked. "Where?"

Octavian smiled and slid closer to Percy. "And can I join you?"

Percy scrunched his lips as he contemplated this. "Well, I'd have no problem with it, but it seems like everyone is so territorial around here with sex."

Nico's eyes widened. "Where are you going?" He nearly shouted.

Percy shrugged and slid a hand behind his head. "I was going to go track down Thalia's brother."

Octavian's eyes widened slightly as he looked between Percy and Nico. Thalia's eyes twitched. "Please do not go defile my brother."

The Rider frowned at her. "But he looked interested earlier."

Nico narrowed his eyes at Percy. "What is wrong with you? First you flirt with me, then Thalia, then accept Octavian's advances, and now you're going after Thalia's brother?" He shook his head. "Do people mean anything to you?"

"Of course."

"For love?"

Percy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Nico sighed. "Don't you have someone you love?"

The green-eyed Rider shrugged. "I love Ana."

The shorter of the two Riders groaned and rubbed his temple. Octavian smirked at Percy's words. Percy stared at Nico in confusion. He didn't see what the big deal was. Why was there such a fascination with people to be with only one person? What was the appeal in this?

Octavian grinned widely. "I would be honored to show the new Dragon Rider around, and perhaps we can find Jason along the way."

Nico crossed his arms and began tapping his finger on his arm. "I bet you would." He rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever."

Octavian smiled and nodded towards the door. Percy glanced over to Nico before moving to follow after the blond. The hostility between his fellow Rider and this blond was practically filling the entire room with tension. Thalia glared at him as he passed her.

"Be careful around him," Nico whispered as Percy walked past.

Percy arched an eyebrow. "He doesn't look very strong."

The shorter of the two shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

Percy tilted his head to the side and stared at Nico, until the boy grunted and walked off. Thalia sighed and followed after him, down the hall. Octavian smiled at Percy. "Coming?"

The tall Rider stared at Nico's retreating back. He had an odd feeling he was standing in the middle of a secret snake pit. He frowned and furrowed his brow before letting out a long sigh. His head turned back around to stare at the blond in the doorway. Letting out an appreciative grunt, Percy followed after him out the door, and out into the city.

It feels like forever since I wrote this chapter. I don't know, some part of me just wants to discontinue it now, before I get deeper into it. We'll see. I'll probably spend several hours talking about it with Bragi and a few of you later, after I wake up. I don't have the next chapter written yet, or have any clue what will happen, so I got no clues for you on that front. I hope you like how Percy and Nico's interactions are going. I can't really think of a question for this chapter at the moment, so I will just end it here. I'll see you guys later, with an update for one of my stories, possibly a new one. It'll probably be Shadows, though, since I'm in the middle of writing it.