Leo Valdez X Reader

Chapter 54 (Y/n)

If you were to ask me, a month ago, where I would be on the day of my eighteenth birthday, I would never have thought it would be on the battlefield.

My heart beat wildly in my ears as the wind whipped through my hair, the sky growing larger.

I could see the army approaching from the street as Festus climbed higher into the clouds above.

Behind them stretched a trail of dust, settling to the ground slowly, almost as calculated as the advance itself. They staggered forward effortlessly as if floating above the pavement, completely serene. 

I could feel the sweat begin to pool on my hairline.

What was I doing?

It was the first thing to run through my mind as I stared down at Lucas's platoon, shrinking like ants beneath me.

I could have stayed out of this, run away with Leo and found some little place to hide out, or just ignored the voice in my head and avoided all of this entirely.

And yet here I was, flying above New York on the back of a giant bronze dragon.

Our army stood far behind me, spread out in a semi-circle in front of the Empire State Building, shields raised. 

They stood like statues, beautifully carved in marble, waiting.

For this to work, we needed them to come to us.

Lucas's army marched in eight divisions, human-sized monsters in the lead, followed by what looked to be giant black dogs, white foam dripping from their jaws as they snapped at the air.

A caravan full of supplies and weapons followed, and then a fourth division full of soldiers, traitors sporting the orange t-shirts of camp like wolves in sheep's clothing. This division had an air of heaviness, something thick and foreboding, a ripple of unease mixed with power.

 There was no doubt that this was where he rode.

I spotted the top of Lucas's blond head sticking out beneath a tufted helmet, riding on the back of one of the black dogs, its neck fitted with a thick gold collar. 

He looked utterly at home between the ranks, but something felt different. As if he stilled even the air itself.

A group of creatures the size of basketball nets followed, pulling up the rear.I watched as they advanced, nearly to the marker where we'd finally make our move. 

I could imagine the sound of the bowstrings being pulled back as our Apollo archers were about to let fly a volley of arrows when the army suddenly stopped.

I watched as a giant shadowy beast broke free from the line, hurtling forward, the top of a tufted helmet bobbing. 

The creature had almost reached the mark, about to expose our upper hand.

"WAIT!" 

I yelled, commanding Festus down, hopefully stopping the archers.

What was he doing?

"I request an audience with the Antigrafo, alone!" 

I could hear the curve of Lucas's smile in his words before we even hit the ground.

He was enjoying this.

Festus landed hard in front of our troops, heat radiating from his mouth like the saliva falling from Lucas's beast.

I had no idea what had come over him, but he crept forward, bronze jaws bared, tiny cracks forming in the concrete with every step. I watched Lucas dismount his hound, pulling the helmet from his head.