Too Many Memories

More Bull-Riding (A Drakon This Time)

More Bull-Riding, (A Drakon This Time)

I gasped at the sight. "Nico!" I ran forward to help him but a large dark slab of stone erupted from the ground and blocked me.

"I've got this!" He yelled and swung his sword around before advancing on the drakon. "Just keep the new campers away."

My heart was torn. I recognized the drakon. I knew it could only be killed by the offspring of a certain god, I couldn't remember which, but I knew it wasn't Hades. "Nico! You can't! It must be--"

"Annabeth! Just keep them away!" Nico started swinging his sword. He jumped forward and back, cutting the drakon's snout. That enraged it.

The drakon darted forward and Nico just barely jumped out of the way in time. He hit the ground and rolled to his feet, just as the drakon struck where he had been laying. He took the opportunity to stab his sword into the drakon's hide.

Unluckily, the blade bounced harmlessly off of the thick scales. "NICO!" I screamed as I say it coming. While Nico was gathering his balance, the drakon turned and spit poison directly in his face, just like with Silena. "NO!"

That's when I remembered. It had to be killed by a child of Aphrodite. Well, we were screwed. Not one child of Aphrodite actually fought since Silena, and I had no idea where she was. But I had to try.

I pulled out my dagger and stomped towards the monster. I was a few feet away when my knife was wrenched out of my hand and I was pushed to the ground. I looked up to see Piper riding the drakon like a bull. She had my dagger in her hand. She held up the dagger, steadied herself and thrust her arm down into the drakon's eye.

It screamed and wailed, flailing around before falling limp to the ground. It disintegrated until the only thing that was left was an empty drakon shell. I was in awe. "Piper, how did you do that? That thing could only be killed by a child of Aphrodite. That means . . ."

A light engulfed her. When it faded, she had changed. Her hair was perfect, she wore a beautiful dress, and she had make up on. It was the blessing of Aphrodite. "All hail Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite."

Piper herself was speechless. "Hello?" A voice choked out. "Dying here."

"Nico!" I rushed over to his side. It didn't look good. His face was marred and burning. Melting. The smell of sulfur filled the air. I lifted his head and placed it in my lap. "Someone get nectar and ambrosia!" A hand appeared in my vision and I immediately grabbed the canteen of nectar and square of ambrosia.

"Here, eat it!" I shoved the square in Nico's mouth and drizzled the nectar over his face. It wasn't working.

Nico spit out the godly food and lifted a trembling hand to push mine away. "Stop. You can't save me. I'm the son of Hades. I know these things. It's my time. Don't waste that. You might need it for someone else." A crowd had gathered now. Piper and Leo were in the front. How terrible it must have felt, not even there for a full day and someone is already dying.

"No, Nico. I can't lose you too. I already lost Percy and then Thalia, I can't lose you too." I had grown fond of the scrawny ghost king. I had even held onto a Manticore and fallen off a cliff to help protect him.

"It's okay, Annabeth. My dad is the god of the dead. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a better afterlife than this life." Nico brushed away my tears. "You replaced Bianca. You were the scolding older sister I needed. Percy was the older brother I never had. I want to thank you both." His voice cracked and I knew he had seconds left.

"Nico, promise me one thing. Make Percy tell me if you become a part of his team. Thalia's there. I just found out today. Don't let me mourn you for that long if you join him. Please, I can't handle that again. Promise me."

Nico nodded weakly. "I promise." He smiled feebly and squeezed my hand one last time, before he breathed for the last time.

I dropped his hand and stood. "We need a shroud for the son of Hades."

I took the task of creating a shroud for Nico. It was pitch black with skulls painted here and there. It felt terrible to actually fill it with a body. We were going to burn it at the campfire, which was in a few minutes.

We finished eating, no one had been talking. Not many of them were friends with Nico, but they knew he was important and that every death was terrible. Hades showed up too.

Hades had definitely changed. He was less cold, but he still couldn't burn the shroud. I had to. I said a few words and took the torch. The flaming torch (courtesy of Leo, we had found out he was a fire-user) touched the shroud and it burst into flames.

"That's very nice. But I'm not completely gone." We turned and there was Nico and Percy. "Sup demigods."

"Nico!" I was shocked.

"I promised I would tell you. And Percy wanted to visit, so here we are." I smiled and Nico hugged his dad. I let them catch up as I walked over to Percy.

"I know you didn't just want to visit. You wanted to see me." He smiled, confirming my guess.

"You caught me." He grinned and pulled me into him, capturing my lips with his. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I smiled into his kiss before pulling away. "But you have to go. You can't stay here without becoming mortal."

He sighed. "I know." He kissed me one last time. "Nico. Come on. We have to go. As much as I don't want to, but we have to."

Nico nodded and he and Percy said goodbye before stepping into a portal. "Bye." I smiled at him before walking off to my cabin. I climbed into my bunk and fell asleep, already planning what I would do tomorrow.