The Vines of Fate (Percy Jackson fanfic)

The Drakon-Killer

"Drakon?" I sighed, dreading to hear the confirmation.

"Yes." Bob grinned at me. "This is good."

"Uh...how is this good?"

"Because we are close." Bob marched into the swamp.

I followed him. Thankfully the terrain forced Bob to go slower, making it a little easier to follow after him. I had to hop from one moss patch to the other to avoid the bogs. My eyes drifted to check on Percy. He was mumbling deliriously. Several times Percy had muttered my name and I had to hold back a sob, my eyes watering. Small Bob purred loudly on his back and snuggled closer.

Finally, the yellow mist parted, revealing a muddy clearing like an island in the muck. The ground was dotted with stunted trees and wart mounds. In the center was a large, domed hut made of bones and greenish leather. Smoke rose from the hole in the top. The entrance was covered with curtains of scaly reptilian skin, and flanking the entrance, two torches made from colossal femur bones burned bright yellow.

Fifty yards into the clearing was a drakon skull. The jaws were encircling a massive oak tree that stood at a forty degree angle. It made it seem as if the oak tree was the dead monster's tongue.

"Yes." Bob muttered. "This is very good."

None of this felt good to me. Before I could make a sarcastic comment, Small Bob arched his back and hissed. Behind us was a mighty roar that echoed in the swamp. The sound brought back memories of me fighting it in Manhattan. I turned to see the drakon charging at us.

The weird thing was that the drakon was gorgeous. It's hide was dappled in green and yellow. When its frills unfurled around its head, it held a sort of regal. It was as long as a subway train. The drakon's massive talons dug into the mud as it pulled forward, its tails whipping from side to side. It hissed, spitting jets of green poison that smoked on the mossy ground and set tar pits on fire.

"Uh, Bob? What exactly are we facing here?" I plucked a grape from my necklace and it grew into a spear.

"Maeonian drakon." Bob informed me. "From Maeonia."

"Right." I slowly nodded. My eyes flitted to check on Percy. He was muttering nonsense, his face beaded with sweat. My throat tightened. "Any way we can kill it?"

"Us? No." Bob said and the drakon roared right after.

"Get Percy to safety." I tightened my grip on my spear. "I'll distract it."

"You don't have to." Bob mentioned. "Any minute-"

"ROOOOAAAR!"

I turned to see a giant emerge from his hut. He was about twenty feet tall with a humanoid upper body and scaly reptilian legs. The giant held no weapon and wore a shirt made of sheep hides and green leather. His skin was cherry red; his beard and hair was the color of iron rust, braided with tufts of grass, leaves, and swamp flowers.

He shouted in challenge. I was scared for a second that it was directed at us, until Bob pulled me out of the way. The giant stormed toward the drakon. They clashed. The drakon spewed poison. The giant lunged to one side. He grabbed the oak tree and pulled it from the ground, roots and all. The old skull crumbled to dust.

The drakon's tail lashed around the giant's waist, dragging him closer to its mouth. As soon as the drakon was in range, the giant shoved the tree down the drakon's throat. I stared with wide eyes. The tree pierced the drakon's gullet and impaled it to the ground. The roots began to move, digging deeper into the ground, anchoring the tree until it looked like it had stood in that spot for centuries. The drakon shook and thrashed, but it was pinned fast.