𝕚𝕧𝕪; annabeth chase

xx.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

it was torture, being told to watch at a distance while your friends fought to the death.

she knew why chiron wanted them surveying the fight before they joined. she and percy were children of the prophecy, prized possessions that are placed on the top shelf for all to see. that they were given an advantage, because soon enough they would likely lose their lives in a much more tragic way. the fated heroes, that's what they were. 

maddie's legs twitched to run over as she watched a dozen laistrygonian giants burst from the labyrinth entrance, holding d.i.y shields made from squashed cars and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. one of the giants bellowed at the ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls.

maddie panicked for a moment, but the next second beckendorf called "fire!" 

two catapults released boulders right at the giants, one deflecting off of a shield, but the other one found it's target on the chest of a unprepared giant.

the campers didn't give them a chance to breathe as the apollo campers released dozens of arrows. while some only stuck onto the thick armor of the giants, others found the chinks and the monsters disappeared at the touch of celestial bronze.

just when it looked like they had the upper hand, another wave of monsters appeared, about forty dracanae, carrying spears and nets, dressed in full battle armor. some hit the traps the hephaestus cabin had laid. one got struck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. another triggered a trip wire, and pots of greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women.

but the flow of them emerging never stopped, and eventually they reached the campers, and the real fighting started. the athena campers were fierce, taking down any who reached them. annabeth was in front, her sword clashing with a dracanae's spear.

maddie then saw sebastian battling furiously with a dracanae. his moves with his spear were quick and graceful, not giving the creature a chance before he smoothly stabbed it right in the chest.

"not yet, maddie," chiron ordered. maddie blinked, and realized she had sub-consciously taken a step forward. 

the centaur was calmly firing arrow after arrow, hitting every dracanae he shot at. but more monsters were still emerging, including a hellhound who barreled straight towards the satyrs.

"go!" chiron yelled.

"about time," maddie muttered, unsheathing her katana.

she and percy raced down the hill and through the battlefield. maddie tried not to look at the fighting going on around her, or the yells she could hear ring through the air.

a dozen dracanae emerged from the maze, and instead of heading towards the fight, they slithered down the path towards camp. 

"nico!" percy yelled, pointing towards the group. the son of hades immediately understood and took a deep breath, holding out his stygian iron black sword.

"serve me," he called.

the earth trembled. a fissure opened in front of the dracaenae, and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—u.s. revolutionaries, roman centurions, napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. as one, they drew theirs words and engaged the dracaenae. 

"i'll take the hellhound, you go for the others?" percy said, raising riptide.

"deal."

maddie rounded on the newcomers from the labyrinth as percy ran off to deal with the massive dog. two dracanae slithered towards her, nets at the ready.