𝙰𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚜 (𝙹.𝙶.) [𝟷]

1.6

A QUARTET ARE GOING ON A QUEST WITH HAPPY THE DRAGON

Mae didn't expect Leo to bring back the freaking bronze dragon that had been discarded by the Hephaestus cabin ages ago, especially early in the morning. The sight of it lumbering into the clearing, creaking and sparking, left her both stunned and impressed. Only Leo could take a pile of scrap metal and turn it into a functioning dragon.

Mae stood there, arms crossed, shaking her head with a mix of disbelief and admiration. "Of course, he did," she muttered to herself, a smirk playing on her lips. "Only Leo would think resurrecting a giant mechanical dragon was a good idea. Just another day at Camp Half-Blood, I guess."

As she made her way to Cabin One to look for Jason with many other campers behind her following her like a mother duck, the conch horn blew, signaling chaos or breakfast—usually both at Camp Half-Blood.

All the satyrs started screaming, "Don't kill me!"

Half the camp ran outside in a mixture of pajamas and armor, looking like a bizarre pajama party gone wrong. The dragon set down right in the middle of the green, and Leo yelled, "It's cool! Don't shoot!"

Hesitantly, the archers lowered their bows. The warriors backed away, keeping their spears and swords ready. They made a loose wide ring around the metal monster. Other demigods hid behind their cabin doors or peeped out the windows. Nobody seemed anxious to get close.

The dragon was huge. It glistened in the morning sun like a living penny sculpture —different shades of copper and bronze—a sixty-foot-long serpent with steel talons and drill-bit teeth and glowing ruby eyes. It had bat-shaped wings twice its length that unfurled like metallic sails, making a sound like coins cascading out of a slot machine every time they flapped.

The dragon reared its head and shot a column of fire into the sky. Campers scrambled away and hefted their weapons, but Leo slid calmly off the dragon's back. He held up his hands like he was surrendering, except he still had that crazy grin on his face.

"People of Earth, I come in peace!" He looked like he'd been rolling around in the campfire. His army coat and his face were smeared with soot. His hands were grease-stained, and he wore a new tool belt around his waist. His eyes were bloodshot. His curly hair was so oily it stuck up in porcupine quills, and he smelled strangely of Tabasco sauce. But he looked absolutely delighted. "Festus is just saying hello!"

Mae couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Leo looking like a deranged inventor who'd just escaped a grease fire. She admired his ability to stay cheerful even when he looked like he'd been dragged through Tartarus and back.

"That thing is dangerous!" Clarisse shouted, brandishing her spear. "Kill it now!"

"Clarisse, hold your spear!" Mae shouted, rushing forward and stopped next to Piper who was staring at the dragon in awe. She knew that getting in the middle of an angry Clarisse and a malfunctioning dragon was risky, but she had to diffuse the situation.