The Blazing Fate

Chapter Nine

Astrid tumbled through the sky. Far below she saw city lights glimmering in the early dawn, and several hundred yards away the body of the bronze dragon spinning out of control, its wings limp, fire flickering in its mouth like a badly wired light bulb.

Astrid could hear the other three falling above her. She was the farthest down and part of her wanted to just accept the death. Astrid closed her eyes and tried to level out. She sent a prayer to her dad. Hoping that he would save her.

Then something was slamming into her body. Astrid grunted as Leo screamed his head off.

'Stop fighting!' Jason said. 'It's me!'

Thank the gods, Astrid thought. While Percy would save them by throwing them into water it felt refreshing to have someone able to fly. Though, if she could choose, Percy would be right beside her.

'My dragon!' Leo yelled. 'You gotta save Festus!'

Jason was already a little rocky holding four people aloft. Before Astrid could try and comfort Leo she heard an explosion below then. A fireball rolled into the sky from behind a warehouse complex, and Leo sobbed, 'Festus!'

Jason could only slow them down in little spurts. Instead of free-falling, it felt like they were bouncing down a giant staircase, a hundred feet at a time. Astrid couldn't help but think she hated flying.

As they wobbled and zigzagged, Astrid could make out details of the factory complex below—warehouse, smokestacks, barbed-wire fences, and parking lots lined with snow covered vehicles. They were still high enough that hitting the ground would flatten them into roadkill when Jason groaned, 'I can't—'

And they dropped like stones.

They hit the roof of the largest warehouse and crashed through into darkness. Astrid tried to tuck and roll. Praying she wouldn't break anything. It was harder to heal herself.

The landing hurt. But Astrid was thankful to feel that she hadn't broken anything. She was bruised, maybe even a little sore, but she could move. She was on her feet in seconds, worried for the others.

The hole they'd made in the roof was a ragged Starburst twenty feet above. Astrid couldn't help but thank her dad in her head, cause she didn't know how else they would've survived.

'Piper!' Jason's voice came from somewhere in the building. He was close to Astrid. 'Where's Piper?'

Astrid started walking and landed on something hard.

'Ow, Ash!' Leo groaned. 'That's my back! I'm not a sofa!' He stood up on shaky legs and Jason came into view a second later.

'Piper, where'd you go?' Astrid called out.

'Here,' a feeble voice whimpered out.

Astrid knew she was hurt immediately. So, with a lot of grunting, and maybe some pushing, her and the two boys were racing up metal steps toward Piper.

Once they got to her Astrid zoned in on the very broken ankle. She cursed.

Leo started to ask, 'You okay...?' Then he saw the foot. 'Oh no, you're not.'

'Thanks for the reassurance,' Piper groaned.

'You'll be fine,' Astrid said, kneeling next to Piper. 'I can fix this, don't even worry.'

Astrid took off her pack and immediately got to work. She took out some Ambrosia and gave Piper a tiny piece.

'More,' Piper said.

Astrid winced. 'You can't have more, Pipes. This stuff can burn your insides. Just focus on your breathing. Jason hold her hand. Leo... just stand there.'