I OWN NOTHING

Chapter 10: The task and the Troubled

Percy

The first task. It is now making me nervous. I still think I can beat them though but facing dragons can be a little extreme. Yeah I battled a hydra when I was thirteen but I had help. I had Tyson, my really big half brother, and Annabeth, my very strategic girl friend. Now we have to face the dragons alone and I don't even know what were supposed to do! I was pacing back and forth inside the tent.

"Perce, stop it" Jason exclaimed "your making me nervous."

"Yeah Perce," Thalia said "what happened to the whole 'we'll show them whose boss' act?"

"How are you all calm? I hear there is a Drakon!" I said

"Yeah" Jason agreed "I told you that"

"Not Dragon" I said "Drakon! D-R-A-K-O-N"

"Wow Seaweed Brain can spell" someone said from behind me I turned to see Annabeth beside Thalia, I grabbed her into a hug. Then we saw a flash directed beside us.

"Ahh young love how… lovely" she said with a sickly sweet voice. Everyone was giving her stares of disgust and hatred "oh don't worry I'm just here for my article in the news paper."

"What in Hades are you doing here?" Thalia demanded

"This room iz for Championz… and Friends" said Victor the camera man took another shot then she turned her head

"Well I think were done here"

Thalia looked like she was about to explode. When Rita turned around she nocked her arrow.

"Thalia don't" I said but it was too late. It missed her head by an inch and nearly hit Chiron's tail as it bounced around to the other entrance which was where the teachers were entering. I was laughing my head off. Causing weird looks from the others.

"Why are you laughing?" Annabeth asked

I whispered to her what had happened years ago when Chiron tried to teach me archery. She smirked then hit me at the back of my head. HARD

"OW what was that for?" I was rubbing the back of my head even with the Mark of Achilles that hurt.

"That was for Thalia" she said she looked at Thalia "you can thank me later" she kissed me and left.

Harry entered the tent looking nervous. Ludo Bagman was briefing us on the first task. But when he heard Harry enter he turned around.

"Harry! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at him. "Come in, come in, and make yourself at home!" Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, and was way too happy. He was wearing his old Wasp robe.

"Well, now we're all here – time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" - he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them - "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different - err - varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too... ah; yes... your task is to collect the golden egg!"

Bagman was opening the neck of the purple silk sack. "Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour. She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon - a Welsh Green. Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, then I knew we weren't the only ones that knew: Madame Maxime must have told her what was coming.

"Ah the Welsh Green" Bagman said then offered Thalia the bag

She nervously put her hand. She when she was pulling her hand out the dragon was spewing out fire from its mouth or one of its mouths. It was a Hydra. I looked at her paled. She knew what was wrong. The Hydra was one of the Hardest to kill. And was one of the most dangerous other than the Drakon.

Krum also know what was our task. He pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground.

Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-gray Swedish Short Snout. He looked scared. He glanced at Harry in disbelief like they shared some kind of secret.

He offered Jason the bag. He looked worse than the day he told us of the dragons. He put his hand in the bag. And our worse fears had been realized. There was a Drakon. It was bright green and terrifying red eyes

"Oh gods" I muttered "I've seen that before"

"The Aethiopian Drakon" Chiron agreed "one of the monsters that attacked from The Battle of the Labyrinth."

"The what?" Jason asked bewildered looking at me I mouthed at him tell you later

Bagman held out the bag to me. I am containing myself from laughing seriously Bagman was holding out a BAG. ..Damn ADHD. Anyway I reached into the bag. I held on to something that made me freeze its scales were as hard as titanium and it felt like a snake. I pulled out my hand and looked at the miniature drakon. I was going to face The Lydian Drakon, the most dangerous creature in the world.

Thalia recognized it and looked at me in pity. Jason and Chiron seem to recognize it too. Chiron placed his hand on my shoulder.

Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out a vicious looking dragon. It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs.

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and We are going to do this oldest first so Mr. Diggory goes first then Mr. Krum, Ms. Delacour , Mr. Jackson, Ms. Grace" Thalia growled at the mention of her last name "then Mr. Grace, then lastly Mr. Potter"

"Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now. . . Harry . . . could I have a quick word? Outside?" "Er . . . yes," said Harry blankly, and he got up and went out of the tent with Bagman.

After a moment, Harry came back inside to looking paled. Seconds later, we heard the roar of the crowd, which meant Cedric, had entered the enclosure and was now face-to-face with the living counterpart of his model. There was an ACTUAL dragon. This means just one thing. I am dead meat

Percy's turn

The whistle was blown to declare the finish of Fleur Delacour's turn.

"Three down four to go" Bagman announced "Next up is Perseus Jackson of Camp Half Blood."

I looked at both Jason and Thalia who gave me a thumbs up and mouthed good luck. Then I stepped out of the tent. There were cheering and clapping that I manage to drown out. I looked around and glanced at my surroundings I can't see a drakon or the golden egg

Then the ground shook behind me was the Lydian Drakon around its neck hanging like a tag on a collar was the golden egg. Oh great, I have to get close to this creature. I concentrated hard and started to feel myself get lifted from the ground. I was now standing in my own personal hurricane. I brought out Riptide and charged at the monster. I manage not to get paralyzed like last time. But I can still feel the This-thing-is-going-to-kill-me paralysis. I flew past its head nearly getting singed by its fire breathing. I swung Riptide at the chain. The collar fell down but before I could reach it the drakon again spewed fire. I can feel storm clouds starting to gather electricity sparking into the clouds. I felt a bead on my necklace start to heat. When I looked down I saw the bead with a lighting edged on it start to glow, the blessing of Zeus. I raised my sword and electricity struck like a lightning rod. I used all my strength and charged to its neck near the chest. I stabbed it with my sword and let the electricity flow through it. It started to shake. It fell down and dissolved into dust. I can feel weariness start to kick in. I was back on the ground and removed the golden egg from the collar. I raised it up then there was cheering from the crowd. I waited for the judges' scores. I got a 7, 9, 6, 7, and10. Same as Victor got. I am tied with the 2nd placer! Man their very demanding. I went back to the tent and nearly collapse as the school nurse was going on with the check up. Now I know what Nico meant by "with great power come a great need to take a nap" I still wonder where he is.

Thalia's Turn

Percy killed the Drakon? Wow that is terribly brave I have to admit. But the last thing I would do is to let a boy look more powerful. It was obvious that he only won because of Dad's help. Now it's my turn and I will prove that girls are just as strong.

I stepped out of the tent ready to face my opponent. I scanned the grounds. Then something landed behind me. A seven headed Hydra. I shot a few arrows at its eye while looking for the egg. It was on top of the middle head…oh gods I feel myself get paler.

Why does the egg have to be so high? I shot it with my flaming arrow. It pierced through its eye. One head down six to go. It swung its tail towards me. It hit me hard; I was now clinging on to its tail. I found my way toward its back while it tried to shake me off. I was now at its neck with the dead head. Fortunately I shot the one that shoots fire, unfortunately, the other heads weren't so kind on a demigod climbing its neck and the egg was on the TOP OF THE MIDDLE HEAD!

I made my way to the middle head at the top. Oh gods I'm so high up, I was paralyzed. I took out my knife as the heads were getting close. I stabbed it deflecting it from me. When I already stabbed one in its eye, black fire erupted from its socket. The necklace I wore started to heat up. When its head docked down I jumped on it and made my way back to the ground. If my dad or one of my uncles is helping me here I might as well make it through. Being in life and death situation, I forget my fear of heights. I manage to get down without cowering in fear. I stabbed it in its chest or what I think is its chest. Its torso started to glow a bit as the fire erupted inside it. The head with the egg was now falling down. I ran to prevent being squashed. Then as soon as it fell I pulled off the egg from its head. cheers had erupted as I waved to the crowd and left the arena. I didn't even bother to look at the scores.

Jason's Turn

My sister did a good job with her dragon. it was now my turn. I got to my feet and got close to the opening of the tent. I looked at Harry. He mouthed at me good luck.

Thanks I said back then exited the tent as soon as they called my name. I scanned the grounds for my opponent. I heard some thumps on the ground… then it turned silent. I jumped as the drakon roared behind me. A giant version of the one I had picked out of the bag earlier. I readied my weapon which turned to a javelin instead of a sword and summoned the winds. I was now air borne as I searched for the egg. It was in the rocks just behind the drakon. I charged at the drakon. It swung its tail and I rolled out of the way. The months I spent training with the Greeks paid off after all. but the egg was not so lucky. When it swung its tail the egg was also hit and was now stuck at the spikes coming out of its tail. why can't this be easy ? I jumped as it swung its tail at me I manage to taka a ride. I was now where the egg was stuck and the drakon was moving too much. I used my weapon , the javelin ,and threw it. That kept the drakon preoccupied as I worked on pulling out the egg. I didn't feel my necklace start to heat up. But when I took looked at the drakon I've seen whatever I have done. The javelin hit its eye and sparks still erupted from it. I just realized that this won't be so hard after all.

Nico di Angelo

I was brought out to face their 'dark lord'. I can't believe it. I was so weak that I agreed to join them as if I could disgrace my heritage any lower. I wonder what would my father say if he saw me give in to them. I was now facing a shriveled body it looked like a child's . he was very skinny and sick looking. He had a face like a snake.

"So... Nico di Angelo, we meet again" it said

"Tom" I gasped "how are you..."

"There are many ways for me to return my dear cousin" he said "and one of which you know."

"A summoning" I gasped "you want me to summon your soul from the underworld?"

"Not exactly summoning." He said deviously "more of completing you will make my body

"What do you mean?" I demanded

"This body is weak and fragile." he said "the only way for me to survive is for you to help me restore my body and soul and you're the only one capable of doing that" the rising I've heard of it before he did it to himself. But only a direct descendant of Hades can accomplish such task. I felt the chains of my hand get lose and fell on the ground.

"Since you've agreed to help us in this task you are no longer our prisoner but our guest." he said "Wormtail! take him to one of the guestrooms upstairs."

"yes master" he said then motioned me to join him. He led me to a flight of stairs and showed me to an empty room. It had what you would normally find in a dorm room, a bed, a dresser and a bathroom. As soon as Wormtail left I was searching through my pockets and around the room hoping to find something that could help me escape. I noticed that the room was dimly lit. I could just find a dark corner then maybe I could shadow travel back to Hogwarts. It was a slim possibility but worth a shot. I stumbled my way to the corner and concentrated. I felt a familiar pull in my gut. The next thing I knew I was in a familiar room but before I could figure out where I blacked out.

HEY EVERYONE! AWSM HERE SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE BUT I HAD A HARD TIME MAKING THIS PARTICULAR CHAPTER SO SORRY IF IT'S A BIT CRAPPY. ANYWAY THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS POLL FOR THE HUNTERS TO JOIN THE BALL WITH A DATE IS STILL UP PLEASE VOTE. END OF POLL MOST PROBABLY IS JUNE 1. So far no date=6 ;date=2

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