Seeing Death After Life (HoO Leo fic)

Chapter 4: Beasts of the Night

LEO WOKE UP WITH A BIG SCREAM.

There were monsters, he was sure of it. And they were coming. Fast.

"Festus!"

The bronze dragon looked towards his fiery companion, his eyes gleaming dimly in the moonlight with distress.

"We gotta go. Now."

Fetus creaked a few words of approval.

As Leo climbed atop Festus, he looked for his deathly female companion, but she was nowhere to be found.

Leo waited atop Festus, screaming her name when a fireball came and hit Festus on the wings, making flight an inability. Leo cursed as the shockwaves hit him hard; that was not a normal fireball.

He landed on the ground, determined to burn his attackers when he heard his godly friend shout his name.

"Leo! We're surrounded!" Makaria exclaimed, running out of the forest that covered them. Their last trip apparently led them to a tropical forest, and unfortunately this wasn't the best place for countering an ambush.

"What were they, Makaria? What the heck could do this?"

Makaria glanced at him worriedly, and answered. "Broken automatons. They swear to kill the children of their creator, Hephaestus."

"My dad built these guys?" Leo fumed. "Why didn't he destroy them?"

"They were clever, Valdez."

"But can't you use your godly form and destroy them?" Leo asked.

"I would need to collect all my worldly essences and I could not do that. Every peaceful death would end abruptly without my presence."

"Can't you use your powers to fight those things coming after us?" Leo pondered. He could hear synchronized steps marching towards them. They were nearly there.

"I could summon an army of the undead..." Leo's heart skipped a beat. He loved seeing undead warriors crush his enemies.

"But I would need to control them, but I'm not good at the art of war." Leo deflated a bit. But a second later he hatched a plan.

"Makaria, I could lead them. I got tactical training from my friends at Camp Half-Blood and Jason Grace." Leo grinned. "Let's do this!"

Makaria closed her eyes and the temperature seemed to drop. Her eyes opened with a glow, and she spoke.

Undead warriors come to me
Face another battle and see
Let your skills shine once again
Offer your powers to defend
Your souls are released for greatness to be
Undead warriors, your souls are free!

Makaria opened her eyes as Leo's mouth fell. Skeletal hands climbed through a small fissure the magic of the goddess created.

"Makaria, it's official. You da man!"

The footsteps stopped and Leo saw what he was up against. A thousand metal soldiers were in front of him in a straight line. Their faces wore no expression, and their bodies stiff.

"Terminate the boy with hate! Terminate! Terminate!" The horrid voices sang as they charged.

They're coming.

Leo saw the army of undead warriors assembling in front of him. Spears, shields, bows, axes, and swords in a line in front of him.