Chapter 21

Natalie's P.O.V.

"Does this have to happen all the time?" Natalie asked, frustrated. Not even ten minutes since they landed, and a hydra was coming towards them. Really, her luck had to be that bad that she just couldn't hang around in some peace after the previous day's work?

"With our luck, yes," Piper said. "Let's get it before it gets us."

The hydra snarled, all it's heads curling into an expression like, Yep, got my meal for the next three days. Won't have to go to MonsterDonalds.

"You know, I really wish Leo–,"

"DDDDIIIIIEEEEE!"

Natalie ducked just in time to avoid getting hit by Coach Hedge as he jumped over them on the ladder, and charged towards the monster, waving his club wildly. The mortals turned to look at him, and their expressions clearly told her that someone would definitely call the nearest mental asylum.

"Well, that complicates things," Piper said.

"Sure it does," Jason sighed, and went to his Peter Pan mode, flying towards the Coach. The satyr whacked one of the hydra's heads with his club, but nothing happened. The hydra merely looked at him like, Great, another day's meal.

The coach whacked it again, and this time, the hydra did not refrain from attacking. It spitted out acid, which would definitely have gotten the satyr in the face if Jason had not flown in and pushed him away.

The acid burned the grass around. Natalie turned to Piper.

"We need to help them. Can you get some fire. I'm going to deal with Mr. Monster."

Piper nodded. "I'll get it."

Natalie jumped down the ladder and landed on the ground.

"Hey!" she said, turning the hydra's attention from Jason and the satyr. All eight heads turned to her. Then they spit out acid together. Natalie had to flip back to avoid getting melted by the acid. The hydra snarled angrily and charged towards her, but she didn't strike. She kept playing around it, confusing it's heads, waiting for Piper. Jason cooperated. The hydra sprayed acid, and soon, all the grass around them had died.

The mortals seemed completely oblivious to this.

"Look, mummy!" a young boy told her mother.

"I also want a dog like that!" he said, pointing to the hydra.

"Piper's getting some fire so we can get rid – No, Coach!"

Unfortunately, Coach Hedge did not like being out of action. He swung his club so hard at one of the hydra's heads, that it broke and rolled off. Two immediately grew out from the stump.

"Here," Piper said. She threw a torch to Natalie, and another to Jason.

"That's where you go down," Natalie said to the monster.

She and Jason started slicing off the heads and burning the stumps. Finally, after ten minutes of hard work, hydra dust lay at the ground.

"Phew. Gaea did send some treats."

The little kid who had seen the hydra as a dog came to us.

"Why did that dog go away?" he asked, tugging at Piper's sleeve.

Piper smiled at him. "Because the dog's mother called him. He obeys his mother. And we should all obey our parents, okay?"

The boy grinned. "Okay."

He ran off to his mother, who gave Piper a brilliant smile, then tagged the boy along to the exit.

"Say that to yourself," I raised an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged. "I said parents, not godly parents."

Jason brushed the dust off his jeans. "Yeah well, I agree with you. Brilliant Coach, you just had everything under control."

The coach grunted, then went back up the Argo II.

(Two hours later)

Jason had just laid down the picnic mat when Percy ruined it. He came running out of nowhere, crashing into Jason.

"Hey, man. What happened to you?" Jason asked him.

"Where's Piper?" he panted.

"What?"

"Piper," he said, his breathing ragged. "I need to - her knife -,"

Jason wondered what had made Percy this nervous. From what he'd heard of the guy, Jason doubted he was worried because of a monster.

"What happened? Percy what happened to your clothes?"

Piper appeared behind him with Natalie, holding her cornucopia in one hand.

"I fell while running," he said. "But that's not important. Your knife, it shows visions right? Can I see Annabeth in it?"

Piper frowned. "Well, I really don't think it would but –,"

"Can you try? Please?" He pleaded with his sea green eyes. Piper's look softened.

"Yeah sure. But it doesn't always show me what I want."

Piper pulled out Katoptris and sheathed the blade. First it was solid, the same glassy, showing Piper's reflection. Then the reflection swirled. It showed the four of us running towards a place. And then, it showed Nico, trapped in the jar, looking as though he was just an inch from death, which Jason thought glumly, he probably was. The dagger went blank.

"Well, I hope that just didn't mean something dangerous."

"It does," Piper sighed. "It showed us, then Nico. I'm sure it means it's us who has to go and rescue him."

"Then let's go," Natalie said. "What are we waiting for?"

Percy, who looked dejected that he had not seen Annabeth, nodded. "Anything better than remaining here with no clue."

Jason agreed with him. But Piper looked uncertain.

"But what about that vision? The one where the four of us were drowning?"

Natalie sighed. "We'll have to figure it out later. Nico doesn't have much time. We should really go."

"Come on guys," Jason said. "Let's go save Nico from entering his father's realm."

Okay I know this was a very lame chapter aaand also very short but I promise they'll be better. Please keep reading. Also, I have decided to explore my writing a bit more. So I've decided to take prompts from y'all. I'd be taking prompts for Star Wars, so you guys can just PM me with your prompts. I'll try my best to respond. Singing off,

Silverstriker27