madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-Baby toucans?-

Teqi could see satyrs racing around screaming, and a lot of demigods with a lot of weapons. The wings had been attached properly, and sounded like coins cascading out of a slot machine every time they flapped. Once Festus had landed on the grass, Leo wobbled to his feet grinning. He looked like a maniac, Teqi had fallen asleep somewhere in between the second wing being put on and Leo adding stirrups to Festus. Leo however, looked as if he hadn't even blinked, his hair so full of grease that Teqi was now determined to find Percy Jackson now, if only so he could dump an ocean on Leo.

"People of Earth, I come in peace!" he shouted, he looked delighted, which made Teqi happy. He had been shocked after she told him that she had killed someone, but hadn't been angry. Teqi thought he would hate her, or even be scared, but he wasn't. Of course, he didn't think she should have, she agreed. The guilt was and always will be there, but Ethan had killed a demigod as well, it was just revenge. "Festus is just saying hello!"

"That thing is dangerous!" One of Clarrise's sisters shouted, brandishing her spear. "Kill it now!"

"Stand down!" Jason orded, sounding like a praetor or something, Annabeth and Nyssa followed him through the crowd. Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"

"Found a ride!" Leo beamed, hopping off the dragon. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"

"It—has wings," Nyssa stammered. Her jaw looked like it might drop off her face, then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Yeah!" Leo said. "I found them and reattached them, I mean, it took all night but whatever."
"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?"
Leo hesitated, then glanced back at Teqi for help. "In the woods, Beck must have forgotten about them. I think there a prototype but Leo fixed em up." She said, coming to his aid. He quickly dived on a chance to change the topic. "Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire."                                                                                                                                       

"Mostly?" Nyssa asked.
The dragon's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid—maybe oil, hopefully just oil—poured out of its ear, all over Leo. Teqi scrunched her nose in discussed, she was certainly not going to sit behind him anymore.

"Just a few kinks to work out," Leo said, wiping oil off his face.

"But how did you survive ... ?" Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. "I mean, the fire breath ."

"I'm quick," Leo said. "And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?" Jason scratched his head. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the dragon?" The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings. Teqi had to agree, but the name had grown on her.

"That's a yes, bro!" Leo said. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the —um, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous, I don't think he wants to be killed, we haven't even left yet."

Jason frowned, looking distressed. "But we haven't planned anything. We can't just—"

"Go," Annabeth said. She was the only one who didn't look nervous at all. Her expression was sad and wistful, like this reminded her of better times, of course it did, she got to go on quests all the time. "Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Let Leo and Teqi grab their things and then go!"