Percy slashed and parried, screaming his lungs out. Nico darted around the other side and tried to jump on the back, but the hellhound kicked out and Nico went sprawling on the ground. This was definitely the biggest hellhound Percy had ever seen, even bigger then Mrs O'Leary. Him and Nico had already rounded up three of the seven escaped hounds and shoved them into the cave in the mountain. Percy had realised there was this black screen-like thing that they were able to push the monsters through, but then the monsters weren't able to get back out. Hades had said they were still young, so they had little practice at fighting and often let their guard down. Percy was trying to be careful not kill the things, but when they were attacking with killing intent it was kind of hard and he had already accidentally reduced one to ashes.
"Nico!" Percy shouted over as he dodged a humongous paw and jabbed at the hellhound's butt. "Can you try communicate with it."
"Percy, it's not like you and horses, I can only sense their thoughts and feelings." Nico moaned and rubbed his head, getting to his feet.
"So try project calming thoughts." Percy explained and grabbed and yanked on a fistful of the creature's fur. Nico nodded and put his fingertips to his temples and scrunching up his face in concentration. The creature seemed to pause for a second but then shook itself like a wet dog and tried to bite Percy, who punched its jaw away and took a swipe with his sword.
Nico shook his head. "It won't work, she's already in a frenzy."
Percy bit his lip. "Okay, lets lead it to that swap thing we crossed back there, maybe it will get caught up."
"Percy, I don't think-" Nico started, but Percy had already run a few meters back and was screaming insults at the hellhound, getting it to bound over and follow him.
Nico sighed but ran to Percy and helped him lure the creature to the swamp.
After thirty minutes of screaming insults and taking turns running up and jabbing the hellhound in a paw or leg, Percy and Nico succeeded in getting the monster up to the edge of the swamp. The minute Percy stepped into the mud-like stuff he knew something was wrong. There was something very troubling about the stagnant liquid surrounding him.
"Nico, what is this?" Percy asked wanting an explanation.
"I- I don't know. I've never noticed it before." Nico looked at it clearly troubled to.
Percy would have wanted to turn back, but the hellhound was almost on top of them and Percy and Nico had to keep battling it. After another ten minutes Percy and Nico were both splattered and caked with the swamp mud, the hellhound was also covered, the stuff matted into its fur and caught in its teeth. Then it all happened at once, Percy came up behind it, sword at the ready, and Nico closed in at the front, at the very moment when Percy raised Riptide the monster kicked back and Percy went sprawling into the mud. As he pushed himself up his hand sunk deeper into the grime and as he went to pull it back out something wrapped itself around his wrist. He tugged again, thinking it was just a weed or plant of some sort, but as he pulled it wrapped itself tighter and pulled down. Percy was yanked forward, his arm going into the murk up to his elbow.
"Nico!" He shouted, but Nico was too busy slashing the hellhound, in one on one combat. Percy tugged his arm, panic creeping bubbling in his stomach. "Nico!" he screamed, but he knew it was no use. He yanked again, but the thing yanked back, twice as strong and Percy's entire arm disappeared in the mud. More things wrapped around his arm, things that felt almost like… hands. Human hands. Then Percy was pulled in even deeper.