CARTER:

There is nothing more disgusting than having a Medusa head fall on you when you step out of a portal.

I guess Annabeth must have let go of the box when we went through the portal. Or maybe it just fell out. Whatever the case, as soon as I stepped out, SPLAT, and the head was on my face.

"Don't look at it!" Annabeth called from somewhere behind me.

Right. Cause I was going to look at it in the first place. Besides being turned to stone, I did not want to lose my appetite (even though I just ate) if I caught a glimpse of that pile of goo. Annabeth scrambled over and rewrapped the head, her eyes looking at the ceiling. Percy hurried over, grabbed the newly wrapped head and shoved it into the box.

"Wow," I said. "What are you? Medusa-head exterminators?"

Percy stretched out a hand and pulled me up. "You'd be surprised." He said.

Soon, Walt, Sadie, and Zia were through the portals, brushing sand off their clothes. I looked around. We were on the foothills of Mount Tamalpais. Before I could even take in the full scene of the mountain, Horus spoke in my head.

Look out, he warned.

Of course, the first few seconds out a portal and we're being attacked.

I was instantly on alert and pulled my khopesh out of the Duat.

"Carter Kane," a female voice said.

I spun around and saw a woman in her twenties. She held a staff in her hand. "Who are you?" I demanded.

The girl dropped to her knees. "A real honor, my king."

My ears felt hot. It was awkward being referred to as king. Especially when the person was three years older than I was. I did my best to conceal my embarrassment.

"I'm Alexandria Bachelet," the woman continued. "Member of the Forty Seventh Nome."

I had to think about it for a moment. Eighteenth Nome?

Horus sighed in my head. San Francisco duh!

I smacked my forehead mentally. Of course. We were in San Francisco.

Next to me, Zia frowned. "She claims to be a member of the Forty Seventh Nome, yet her accent flows thick with Russian."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, brandishing my khopesh.

Alexandria got up. "Leonid had a vision that you were in need of help."

Leonid?

A second figure floated down from a higher rift above us. My eyes widened and I heard Sadie gasp. It was our Russian friend Leonid.

He spotted Sadie and almost instantly cried, "Sadie Kane!" He grasped her hand vigorously. "The Chief Lector assigned Alexandria and I to the San Francisco Nome." he explained, shaking my hand as well.

Walt cleared his throat. "You said you were here to help?" He asked

Leonid nodded "Yes, I was told that you and your...Greek friends...might need us."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Really? Well, we need to get up the mountain without Ladon eating us up. Can you do that?"

"Wait a minute," I held up my hands. "Ladon?"

"He means the drakon that guards the Tree of Immortality," Annabeth explained.

Tree of Immortality? What? Nevertheless,I tried to look like I understood everything she was saying and nodded vigorously.

Leonid tilted his head. "Drakon?"

Percy groaned. "Fine. Can you get us to the top, then?"

Leonid grinned widely. "Of course!"

Soon, we were on the top of the mountain behind a big rock, due to Leonid's amazing Path-of-Shu skills, and staring at a sleeping dragon that wasn't a dragon. Annabeth said that it was a drakon, an older relative of the dragons and much more vicious. Not that I'd care. I just wanted to get out of there alive.

"So, how do we beat it?" I whispered.

Annabeth winked. "Watch and learn."

She motioned for us to follow her. Then she surprised us by getting up from behind the rock.

"What are you doing?" Sadie hissed.

"Just follow." Annabeth ordered. We did as she told us to. I was going to suggest that we make a run for when when, unfortunately, Ladon snapped open his eyes. He must've been able to sense us or something because right then and there, I knew I was dead meat.

"Okay," Percy said. "We distract, you run. Don't interfere. Got it?"

"Dude. That thing's going to eat you!" Walt protested.

Percy laughed. It's amazing how that guy laughs through everything, even in the face of a demigod-eating drakon. "You'd be surprised how many times that's happened."

He and Annabeth charged towards the monster, weapons drawn. I couldn't even comprehend where Percy got his sword from. One minute he was holding a ballpoint pen, next minute he was holding a wicked sharp sword. Percy and Annabeth went to work, slashing and dodging the drakon like they did this everyday. My eyes widened with every strike.

But finally, I couldn't stay put anymore. Despite Percy telling us to run, I knew I couldn't just stand there and watch. I was a pharaoh.

You must help. Horus urged.

But before I could even get ready to run, I heard Sadie's voice behind me.

"Hah-ri." Silence.

The drakon faltered and fell, snoring. Way to make me look like an idiot, sis. Annabeth looked around, confused.

"That was Sadie." I explained.

Percy blinked. "You could've mentioned you could do that to save time, you know."

We all stood there for a moment until Alexandria broke the silence. "We should go. We do not have enough time."

The climb up the mountain was horrible. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure all you guys are thinking, Carter, Eye of Horus, is tired from climbing a mountain?

But trust me, it was the longest and steepest hike ever.

The climb seemed endless. Zia walked next to me. "I really wish we were still at the mall, Carter."

I took her hand. "I'll take you after this is over."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. That had me dazed for a second. I mean, we've been dating for a few months already, but still...

I didn't even realize when we reached the top of the mountain.

"We are here." Leonid said.

SORRY IF THIS WAS A BIT BORING. I'M GETTING TO THE ACTION SOON ;)