Erebian Fields, Erebus

Harry

From Harry's left peripheral vision, he could see Percy's sword drawn. Riptide, Harry remembered. He raised his own wand. To his right, Nico scowled darkly but did the same. "Wait, um... goddesses. Please... How about we talk this through?" Piper tried for a faint smile. It didn't work. The three-whatever they are-were gone. A rumbling sound filled the empty void.

"Run." Percy's voice sounded faint. Harry hesitated. If he could only just remember... Something like this happened before, Harry realized. "RUN!" Harry's feet quickened with his heart as he turned back and fled. The others followed, Jason and Will coming up in the rear while facing whatever it was. A hill materialized behind him, a ridge quickly forming as a creature was digging to them. They needed no better encouragement as they ran.

Suddenly, Harry froze, almost tripping Leo who was right behind him. Blood pounded in his ears.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Annabeth asked, looking worried.

"Stop," Harry said.

"What?" Annabeth asked. "C'mon, we have to go, the-"

"Not you. Stop," Harry repeated, trying to concentrate. C'mon... did it before, he thought frantically. "STOP. STOP!" FMOOSH! Dirt and mud sprayed everywhere, as the creature tunneled out, its long head and neck dangling right above them.

"And why, should I?" the creature asked, almost amused.

Styxeland, Erebus

Leo

A glob of dirt sprayed right into Leo's face. It hit. Great, Leo thought bitterly. He quickly scrubbed the wet mud off. However, now, he could see-and admire-the magnificent monster about to kill them all.

It was long, snake-like, though it could be a drakon. It's neck reached as high as the wispy trees that Leo could now see, due to Percy and Jason's swords, and Will. Its mouth was stocked with two razor-like fangs, dripping with acid that steamed as it fell onto the soft ground below. Its purple and blue scales were tightly interlocked, in a hexagonal pattern unlike any other snake Leo had seen, but was engenerically better-each scale now supported another. Two gleaming yellow eyes swept through them like searchlights, when they landed on Leo, he had to admire the different rings of colors he saw within, all expanding and contracting. Orange... red... black... gold... bronze... amb- Leo shook his head. Snap out of it, he told himself.

"A drakon," Annabeth said, awe and fear mixed in her voice. The snake-drakon turned its head at her.

"It's okay," Harry said, trying to usher confidence into his voice. "We are not enemies. We are _." He made a series of hisses and snarls.

"Wait, Harry, you can talk to... it?" Percy asked, uncertainty dotting his brows.

"Parseltongue," he answered. "Right, so..."

"Parsel what?" Percy muttered.

"Snake language." Annabeth answered.

"Snake langu... oh," Percy replied. "That's cool." Leo glanced back at Harry and the drakon. They were having a conversation, it seemed. Leo imagined it like this:

Hi, how are you? Please let me eat you.

Hello. I'm good, please don't eat me, I have a wife and kids.

Oh, so sorry. But I really have to eat you. Are you visiting?

Oh yes, this is quite a nice home. Homes these days, so unaffordable. You're lucky you got such a beautiful swamp.

I know right? Now, stand still so I can eat you.

Or maybe not. Leo shrugged. He looked at the drakon's scales, knowing it was nearly impenetrable. Perhaps he could...

His nose started to flame at the many ideas racing in Leo's head.

Harry

"Err... so... are you native here?" he asked, remembering the boa constrictor at the zoo. Only this snake was ten times larger, five times thicker, and had a giant acid-dripping mouth the size of a car.

Harry tried not to think about that.

No.

"So-" Just then, a wind rippled across Erebus, ruffling the grass and leaves. It wasn't very fast, but it seemed like it could go right through his body, chilling his bones. Harry shivered.

Yes. The wind and the sky do not like you. You don't belong... the drakon's lips curled.

"Are you immune to it?" Harry asked, rubbing his temple.

No. We feel it to, weakening our bones and dulling our senses, till we one day, cease to exist and be wasted, to be reborn. It is an endless cycle of eternal torture, you see. Maybe someday, I will no longer hanut these lands of darkness. Only the spawn of darkness and night shall pass through untouched.

"Right." Harry answered. "Now, about the not eat-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because the snake's neck snapped in half, an axe rooted at the back of it, perfectly lodged in between the scales.