So sorry that I haven't updated for centuries! (Well… 2 weeks I think…) but I do have exams, GCSE's and loads going on at the moment! This chapter is dedicated to Hugs6 for helping me and motivating me to get a move on with it!

Once the shadows cleared from her sights she looked around her frantically and gasped as she recognised her surroundings. It was the place where Percy had been. She spun and saw a mass of hellhounds circling him, snarling viciously with spittle flying in all directions from their mouth.

"PERCY!" Nico yelled, bringing out his blade and stabbing the closest hellhound with it using just one fluid motion. Amelia stepped forward, adrenalin rushing through her body. She was prepared to just use her fists but Nico turned to her. "Amelia, get back!" she unwillingly obliged. She'd always hated being the one on the sidelines watching whilst people she cared for got hurt. She hadn't exactly known Nico long, Percy for barely 5 minutes but she still didn't want to see them get hurt. She took a deep breath and looked around for some sort of weapon. The only thing was a heavy branch that had fallen down. She carefully picked it up and tested the weight, it wasn't great but it'd have to do. She stepped forward and just as a hellhound was going to spring at Nico's undefended back she swung with all her strength. The hound collided with a THWACK and was knocked to the ground. She'd helped Nico but now she had another problem on her hands. The hellhound was stalking her and she was running out of space, it pounced and she ducked instinctively, it flew over her head and she span round with it, keeping it in her sights. It started to stalk her again and she bent her knees slightly, it was wary of her movements and she was the same with it. She had never fought anything before but everything was coming with instinct. It was a really bizarre. She heard Percy yell at her as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, she turned and swung without really knowing why until she saw a massive black mass catapulting towards her. She gasped and hit it, the momentum it was carrying spiralling it away where it landed with a thud. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nico sprint over and stab it, causing it to explode into dust which coated Nico fully. She focused on the hellhound in front of her as it charged. She'd been good at Physics and working out distances, forces and damage before it even strikes so she was mentally calculating her move. To Percy and Nico it would look like she was just standing there but never think that with Amelia. She had learnt that and was using it now as Percy was screaming her name. The right impact on the right spot will send it into dust. 3…2…1… she carefully counted, hoping she was right. If not she'd either be slaughtered or severely injured. NOW! She stepped slightly to the side and swung the branch, making it connect with the side of his head; she then jumped to the other side and tripped it up without pausing to smash the branch onto his chin. It screamed then dissipated into golden dust. She sighed in relief and smiled to herself. It had worked! She couldn't believe it! Hitting the side of its head had knocked its brain around whilst hitting its chin on the exact part where the jaw bone connected had shattered its skull. Killing it. If the skull had been tougher or the brain slightly less normal then it wouldn't have worked. It had worked purely on chance. She turned and saw Percy and Nico staring at her, jaws hanging open.

"You killed a full grown hellhound with a branch," Percy uttered unbelievingly, Amelia blushed slightly,

"Well, it wasn't much. Just a matter of physics and timing," she replied insignificantly. Nico started laughing nervously.

"Where did the timid girl go?" Amelia felt a slight blush creep up on her cheeks. Percy was looking at her curiously with an inquisitive expression which made it flare up more. Percy shook his head and looked at Nico.

"I was so close," he whispered as if afraid to hear it himself,

"Then what happened?"

Trust Nico to skip pleasantries Amelia thought to herself,

"All trails disappeared, I've been searching round here for ages but the last sign of his direction was over there," he pointed to a gathering of shrubs nearby, "I don't know why or what's happened but it doesn't look good," he looked apologetically at Amelia,

"Alex could be dead," she muttered more to herself than anything but she still got a reply,

"No, he wouldn't be dead. They want him to get to you so there going to keep him until then," Nico said remorsefully,

"What do I do then? I can't live with myself knowing that he could be frightened or hurt. He needs me!" she burst, taking in panicked gasps. Percy stepped forward and put his arm around her shoulder. Tears spilled from her eyes and he gently wiped them from her cheeks. He looked at Nico again as she leant against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart beat and bathing in his warmth, needing the stability of a real person since her precious people from before were gone. Just gone… She took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. Percy and Nico had been talking but she hadn't been listening. All she caught was,

"We need to get Amelia to safety. Once she's safe then we can find Alex," Nico was saying, Amelia turned round and gave him a glare.

"I'm coming with you, he's MY brother and I will save him!" she uttered, her voice dangerously low. Percy turned her round and looked at her properly.

"Look, we are all for you coming but at the moment, we need to keep you safe. You getting hurt by these monsters hunting you, they aren't normal," he stopped and closed his eyes tightly,

"What do you mean their not normal?" there was silence for a few seconds but Percy eventually answered,

"We've found that the monsters can't be killed with the normal weaponry. They've grown immune to the metals," she shook her head slightly,

"But Nico killed the two monsters before…"

"No, he didn't, were you actually there when it happened,"

"Well no but I saw the three wheat things get killed by Kaleb," Nico groaned but remained silent otherwise,

"They weren't actual monsters. The old woman? The hellhounds that went after you? All Nico could do was create a portal and send them back to the underworld for a bit as he is the son f Hades."

"So I'm a rare case,"

"Of sorts yes, which is why we need you to get to safety, it'll be easier and quicker to get your brother if us two go alone," Amelia breathed in and pushed down the rising anger within her,

"Ok, if it helps get Alex back then sure. I'll go to this Camp half-blood," Percy and Nico both beamed in relief,

"Thank you for agreeing with us, we should probably set off now," Nico said, grabbing Amelia and marching off North. Percy grabbed him and slowed him down.

"Don't rush. It's important but she doesn't need to be near exhaustion when we get there," Nico nodded then grabbed his wrist to,

"What?" Percy exclaimed in surprise before realisation dawned on him,

"Just a little way, like over there," he pointed to a forest clearing and Nico nodded. The next moment Amelia was covered in shadows then in the clearing with the shadows clearing. She stumbled slightly as her foot hit a rock. She was facing Nico and Percy whose faces had both gone as pale as the moon above her.

"What?" she smiled then turned. Kaleb was lying on the floor in a mangled position. He was still breathing but it came in rasping gasps. He was unconscious and lying in a pool of Crimson blood which was growing steadily wider, oozing from deep cuts on his face and massive wounds on the rest of him. Percy ran over to him and hurriedly took out some Ambrosia and Nectar before setting to work on helping him. Nico just stood back stubbornly, refusing point blank to help him. Amelia caught sight of Kaleb's oh so precious journal lying on the ground a little bit away from him. She ambled over to it curiously and picked it up, turning it over in her hands. The pages looked old and the cover was smooth. So smooth that she found herself unknowingly running her hands over it. She stopped and took a deep breath before opening it. She read the first thing she saw, it was about what was effective if a Minotaur was charging at you from the right. She laughed to herself and flicked through it to the back. A word caught her eye and she flipped back to it, reading the whole page. Her breathing quickened and her heart rate sped up. This couldn't be right? She looked down at the boy lying unconscious on the ground, looking so innocent, then back to the page which held nothing but evil. This couldn't be true? It couldn't be him?

Ooh… What does it say? Find out next time! Please review! Virtual cookies to all who do! (::) (::) (::) (::)