Heroes of Olympus - The Blood of Olympus (Discontinued)

Chapter 9 - Jason

"You're kidding..." Hazel muttered.

Jason demanded, "How's Percy?"

"He's fine, I think," Annabeth replied. "At least he says he's fine, but his arm's bleeding badly, and the water won't heal him. He's holding off several demons, but he's not killing them. He doesn't want them to reform at their base and intercept us."

"That's smart," Jason remarked. "Yet incredibly brave, and incredibly stupid at the same time."

"The water's not healing him," Annabeth repeated. "Yet he's able to control it in his own self-defense. We need to get that flag now, so we can go back to aid him. He won't last much longer!"

Jason saw the desperation in Annabeth's gray eyes, and knew he had to act now. He had to lead them. "We're almost there," Jason reassured, looking up at the stadium again to get his bearings once more. "The flag should be just a few meters away."

"Then let's go," Annabeth said.

United now, the four demigods rode swiftly through the water, cutting down enemy demons every time they encountered them. Jason rode without stop, barely noticing the Nymphs and Nereids anymore. They would appear, his sword would flash, and they would vanish. He swerved, and banked, turned, and struck, following Annabeth's advice from behind, every time he came to a new crossroad, or a complicated twist in the maze's formation. He just hoped in vain that they would reach the flag soon.

And reach it, they did.

On Ozzie's promise, three demons guarded the enemy flag. It stood in the mud of a big cove that lay at the opposite end of the arena. Two Nereids stood knee-deep in the water surrounding the cove, while a burly Nymph stood on the shore, his back to the flag, a huge jagged bone-weapon clasped in his hands.

Jason signaled to the others. "Two of us per Nereid. Then we move to Ugly Number One."

Annabeth leaped off Frank's back, and Frank turned back to human form, his bow held firm, his sword at his side.

The Nereids snarled, moving forward through the water, showing incredible bravery to the four demigods facing them. However, courage didn't stand strong for them during this battle.

Within seconds, only the burly Nymph remained.

The half-bloods waded onto the shore, eyes locked on the Nymph.

He stood eight feet tall, on huge scaly green legs, leading up to a blue mottled torso. His muscular arms clutched a four foot long scimitar, its blade jagged and cracked. His head resembled a human head, just combined with a barracuda, baring two rows of razor sharp teeth, each tooth serrated at the edges like that of a shark's.

Jason charged him, Frank following. Hazel and Annabeth leaped in from behind hoping to inflict any aftermath from the boys' attack.

But the Nymph had skill.

He swung the flat of his blade, smacking Jason's chest and sending him flying back into the sea. Frank shot his arrow, but the Nymph caught it in mid-air, hurling the point back at Frank's chest who had to swerve to avoid the fatal point. Using Frank's distraction, the Nymph kicked his legs out from under him, and Frank crashed to the ground, rolling out of the way just in time when the Nymph brought his blade down into the sand right where Frank had been.

Annabeth charged, swinging her drakon-bone sword with great force. The Nymph dodged and parried her second strike, the momentum causing Annabeth to stumble back. The Nymph turned, grabbing Hazel just before she attacked and hurling her back into the cove, only to be caught by Jason before she slammed into a wooden barricade.