Annabeth

"Everybody, form a line!" shouted Percy over the clamor. Even though he wasn't the leader of everyone here, everybody still listened to his instructions. But it was hard to get into a line, for the horses objected strongly. It seemed that the one thought in their mind was to run, and even Percy couldn't get them to calm down.

We were all kind of frantic as well. I mean, the five demonic monsters were less than a hundred feet away from us, and we didn't have time to form a plan or anything.

But I was proven wrong as Jason dismounted. He stood, feet apart, and yelled, "Thalia, help me!"

I didn't understand what he was doing, but Thalia obviously did, and dismounted as well, going to stand by her brother. Then Jason summoned a blast of wind, pushing the monsters back like a mini tornado. The beasts roared and thrashed, but Jason just concentrated harder, and the winds picked up it's pace. Thalia stood right beside him. Her demigod skill laid more in lighting and electricity, not as much in winds, as Jason excelled at. But she provided as much help as she could. Whenever one of the creatures got too close, she blasted them with volts of electricity, causing them to wail and retreat. When they tried came back, they were just pushed back by the wind once more.

But Jason was tiring fast, not surprisingly. He was using an extensive amount of energy to bend the winds and push them faster.

Thalia was also wearing out.

Then Hazel spurred Arion closer. I had no idea what the girl could do, but I soon learned. Hazel threw up her hands, then brought them back down. For a moment, nothing happened, then I heard a groan, and the ground started to vibrate. Then the land underneath the monsters split open. It was only a twenty foot drop or so, but it definitely gave us a little bit of time.

Jason collapsed, and Piper dismounted, running up to him. While she helped Jason out, Nico had gone to Thalia and was feeding her ambrosia.

Percy got everyone to dismount, then sent the equestrians a mental message, telling them to get out of danger, but stay close by, so we could get them if need be.

"Archers! Form a line in front!" Percy hollered. About fifteen men came forward, most of them Apollo's sons, but some were sons of Ares or Athena. Thalia had gotten most of her strength back, thanks to the ambrosia given by Piper, and now jogged to the group of non archers waiting to be commanded, stringing her bow. Jason, Piper, and Nico soon followed.

Percy told Malcolm to take command of the archery team, while he turned to the remaining fidgeting demigods.

"Alright, the rest of you are going to be split into teams. You're job will be to kill the monsters, and keep you're partner alive. Don't tire yourself out too much too soon. Alright, grab a partner, and good luck."

I glanced around, taking in a few of the groups. Jason and Piper had teamed up, Hazel and Frank, Leo and Darryn, Nico and Thalia, and so on. I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and turned to see green eyes.

"You're with me, Annabeth. I've got a job for you. Hazel and Frank, Jason, Piper, Nico, Thalia, Leo, and Darryn, with me!" Percy called as he started to run into the woods. The people that were summoned followed Percy. I caught up to the hurrying son of Poseidon and asked, "What's the plan?"

He looked at me. "Well, that's your job. I just rallied the troops, now you tell us what to do. You are the daughter of Athena."

I rolled my eyes, "Really, Percy? Thanks for warning me. Life or death. No pressure."

He chuckled. "You'll do fine." I grunted in return.

Okay, I thought. Since we are in the woods already, we might as well try to get around to the back, maybe we can surprise the monsters.

"Come on, guys!" I told them.

When I knew that we had reached the point where I deemed necessary, I motioned for everyone to stop. I peeked out from behind a tree to see that the monsters were still in the pit, and whenever one would try and get out, the archers would shoot it back down again.

I made sure that nothing that bad was going to happen too soon, then turned back to my little group.

"Alright, Hazel, Frank, and Leo, you three tell me your powers, for I'm still unsure about what exactly they are. Quickly though," I commanded.

Leo cleared his throat, then proceeded to say so quickly I'm surprised he could know what he was spitting out of his mouth, "IamafireuserandI'msuperhotandamazingand-"

I held up a hand, "Leo, shut up. That's not what I meant 'quickly.'" He grinned at me, then explained a little slower.

Leo turned out to be a very useful person in my plans. He was a fire-user, which was vital in defeating the monstrous hydra.

Hazel could control riches, such as diamonds, gold, or other valuable items, and she could also form caves, find caves, and collapse them. An idea for her started to form in my mind as Frank told me his powers.

Frank was a son of Ares, but he was a unique one. He was a shape-shifter. He could change into any animal form. I added his powers to the collection of my whirling thoughts.

Slowly, a plan started to develop in my brain. Yes, this could definitely work, especially with all these powerful demigods.

I started talking quietly, "Alright, guys, here's the pla-" I was cut off when I heard a deafening roar. I pivoted, and looked at the scene of horror that was unfolding before me.

The drakon had spread it's wings, and was cannoning out of the pit. But before the archers could shoot them down, like they usually do, the hydra's claws caught on the edge of the pit, enabling it to be able to climb up. The sight of the perilous claws, and the seven heads that followed, was a long enough of a distraction for the drakon to fly higher into the sky, out of bow range.

The archers were slowly disassembling, and soon the line of archers was disfigured by the hissing of the three serpents, who each managed to slide up the side of the pit by using their poisonous sticky spit (they were immune to it). They had apparently stuck it to the walls, then climbed up the line of spit, so they could reach the top. The ten foot wide pit was still there, but the monsters had no intention of being fooled back into it.

I cursed silently under the knowing of us having no time.

"Alright, as I was saying-" once again, I was interrupted, but this time it was because of stupidity.

Leo burped. Loudly. Very very loudly. I'm pretty sure he would've won an award for the loudest belch, but right now I wanted to give him the award of death.

Sure enough, two of the serpents heard, and turned towards us, their forked tongue slipping in and out of their mouth as they tasted our scent.

"Leo, you're so dead." I muttered, remaking a plan.

Leo protested, "I'm sorry! I couldn't hold it! And aren't you all dead with me?"

I spun and glared at him, "No, because we are running, and you are going to stay here, and draw them away from us."

Leo paled, "I- I- I'll... I'm not going to- I can't... I'LL DIE!" He shouted.

"No you won't, because every time you get close to dying, one of us will jump in and help. The rest of us are going to disperse into partners, and strike. We need to kill the serpents first, and draw the monsters away from the main group, cause they are panicking. Panic is not good. Don't panic, or you will ensure death." And with that happy note, we all went with our partners (Darryn went with Jason and Piper) to go to the edges, and wait for the monsters to strike.

Leo was still frozen on the spot, but that was okay, cause he needed to draw the beasts.

Very soon, the two serpents came into the clearing, followed by their other fellow serpent, whom I am assuming they alerted.

They started to surround Leo, who was still frozen.

Percy and I were currently hidden behind two trees, each of the trees about three feet apart. Percy had his bronze sword in his palm, but I hadn't seen him draw it. I have yet to ask him about that.

My dagger was in my hand, and I was happy for the familiar feel of it. I had about fifteen throwing needles in a scabbard hooked on my belt. Throwing needles are kinda like tiny weighted knives. They are made about ten inches long, and the blade was about an inch wide. They're aren't really hilts, just about a four inch long part of the blade that wasn't sharp, and was honed down, so it looked kinda like a cylinder. The circular hilt thing had leather around it for grip. You don't really hold it in your palm, more like in your fingers. It's not as powerful when you throw it from your fingers, but it definitely is faster, and if you practice, you can make it as powerful.

These throwing needles are magic, a gift from Artemis when I turned ten. They were enchanted, so that every time I use one, another takes it's place in my scabbard. So basically, I have an unlimited supply of top notch, extremely sharp throwing needles. They were pretty handy. Every since I've gotten them, I've been practicing with them a lot. I can now hit a dummy between the eyes five times in the span of six seconds, and I recently learned how to throw two at the same time, each one between my knuckles. I'm hoping to learn how to throw four simultaneously someday.

Anyways, to the fight. The serpents were still circling Leo, and the two other monsters were oblivious to the three serpents attacking us. The hydra had been knocked back into the pit by a well-place arrow in one of it's foreheads. Malcolm had done that shot. The drakon was nowhere to be seen at the moment, which was a bit unsettling.

I was torn out of my thoughts from a larger hiss than normal, then one of the serpents charged at Leo. I waited, for it wasn't our turn. Before we had departed from each other, we had decided who would help Leo on the first attack, then who would be on the second attack, and we kept choosing who would go.

Percy and I were scheduled for the third attack. The first was to go to Nico and Thalia, who I didn't know where they were at the moment. I held my breath as the serpent got closer and closer.

When I thought that the creature was going to gobble up the frozen Leo, an arrow came zipping out of the forest, burying itself in the snake's forked tongue, mid hiss. It was an amazing shot that only Thalia could be capable of. Sure enough, Thalia and Nico dropped down from trees that they must've climbed, and went on the attack. Thalia and her bow damaged an eye or two, for the arrows wouldn't penetrate the scales. But Nico's three foot long stygian iron blade did the trick. He managed to slice open the sides of the snakes, before both of them ran up a tree, out of the serpents' reach.

But they only hurt the snakes, and enraged them even more. None of the monsters died.

The serpents, staying back out of fear for another attack, kept on hissing and circling Leo. But their courage soon came back, and they charged again.

This was Hazel and Frank's turn, and I was interested to see what they would do. Like Nico and Thalia, they were nowhere to be seen at the moment.

When they were about five feet from Leo, the ground broke open right next to Leo, and an azure dragon about twelve feet long shot up from the hole in the earth. I was alarmed, and was about to rush out, thinking the dragon was another monster, but Percy grabbed me and mouthed "Frank."

I nodded, remembering that he could change his form. The dragon flew up, stopped, then dove back down, breathing fire straight at Leo. I would've been scared for Leo's life, if I hadn't known that he was fireproof. For a second though, I was afraid for Hazel, cause I am sure that she was in the deep hole in the ground, but when I looked back, I saw that the hole was covered once more.

I looked back at the sapphire dragon, and saw that Frank was now diving in to claw one of the serpents. He succeeded, and the serpents went off into their routine of circling, scorched and clawed. But the obstinate beasts still persisted.

Frank then flew off, finished with his task. I assumed he was going to find his partner, Hazel, and wait for their next turn.

When the third attack arose, I looked at Percy and raised an eyebrow in question. He nodded in affirmation, and then we burst out of our hiding place and attacked with all our might.

This is what I train for. I thought excitedly.