Percy Jackson:The Mountain Climbers

Top of the World: Percy

Altitude - 28,996 ft. Location: Everest North Summit.

I finally dropped Aaron and he fell on the snow, much to his annoyance.

"Why did you drop me?" he muttered, lying on his back.

"Sorry," I panted, placing my hands on my knees and bent over, feeling completely drained again. The water I had may have fixed the bones in my arm, but it didn't help the humerus at all. At best, the water only fixed the bone. "Too heavy."

"Ironic," Aaron sarcastically muttered. "I haven't eaten in three day's; I'm light as a feather and you say that I weigh too much? Ironic."

I looked below the ledge that we hauled ourselves. Even from this distance, I could see that Jason and Nico were still fighting Everest. The flash of Jason's gold sword was unmistakeable - but I didn't think much about it as I turned around and started walking forwards towards the Summit. "We need to keep moving."

Before I took another step, Aaron asked, "Are you sure? What about Zeus's warning?"

"Do you want to throw the Master Bolt?" I retorted. That shut him up. I knew it sounded harsh, but he didn't know anything about the Bolt - I did. If anyone had to do it, it had to be me. I didn't are about my warning; I only cared about getting the mission done.

I looked at my elevation watch and I saw that I was twenty eight thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine feet above sea level. This is it, I thought. No turning back. I held my breath and walked onwards, going past twenty nine thousand feet. Aaron stayed close behind me, even though he limped a bit. He must've broken a few bones but he didn't let it on.

We were trekking along, and I could see the peak from where I was standing. I could see the array of colourful flags and could see where the peak touched the heavens. We were so close...

Just then, someone shouted, "PERCY HURRY!"

I looked back and saw Nico and Jason running towards me and Aaron, thirty feet away from us. They were red from exhaustion and were panting like maniacs. Behind them was Everest, snarling like a wild animal as he yelled curses at Jason and Nico.

I knew it was only a matter of time before he catched up with me, so I picked up the paste and ran towards the Summit. As I did so, I was greeted by Nico who was faster than Jason. Aaron was running as well, but he was still limping slightly.

29,015 feet...29,020 feet...29,025 feet...

I was about to go higher than that, before I heard a yell of pain.

"GAH!" Jason screamed. I turned back at the last moment and I saw Jason falling to his side, clutching his leg as if broken. Everest was looking down at Jason, smiling evil and raised his sword for the kill.

"NOOOOO!" I roared, reaching behind me and grabbing one of my axes and hurling it at Everest. It thudded into his shoulder and it was enough to make him fly backwards into the snow. 

I raced down and rammed into him, just as he stood up. I brought out Riptide and started slashing and stabbing. My Kendo training kicked in, but I still had no idea where it came from. I just knew the moves. Either way, Everest struggled as he tried to fight back. Finally, I kicked him backwards and he just fell over a ledge, screaming with a look of terror as he fell into the thick clouds.

I knew the fall wouldn't kill him, but he would be knocked out from the fall. I sighed in relief when I got to Jason and saw that he wasn't bleeding or anything. I looked at Jason and I helped him up, where he just patted me on the shoulder.

"Let's finish this," he said.

I looked at my friend and I nodded. We trudged onwards, Nico and Aaron waiting for us to resume our ascent, which wasn't that far now.

29,029 feet, top of Everest.

Nico collapsed to his knees and started laughing with joy. Aaron did pretty much the same, but he fell on his back as he smiled, knowing that he had done the impossible. Jason and I were still standing, though Jason's legs did wobble. I was just taking in huge amounts of air, and taking in the sight that was layed out in front of me.

We were on top of the world. I couldn't even process those words at first. We were on top of the FREAKING world! I made it! We made it! 

I turned around and brought out the lightning bolt. I looked at the sky and back at the Bolt. I have risked my life twice for this thing now. Last time it nearly caused WWIII, and now it nearly cost us our lives on this mountain.

Jason came up to me. "It's all up to you now Percy."

I looked into the eyes of my friend, knowing that he was right - I had to be the one to finish this. I took several steps back and ran forward, throwing the lightning bolt as high up as I possibly could. I watched it sail upwards and for a moment I thought it was gonna come down.

Then suddenly, it burst into lightning and shot upwards into the sky. As it got higher, it shot towards the west, continuing to go further and further. It was kind of weird, because it reminded me of E.T. - at the end of the film, when he was recovered by his people and their ship shot into space, it left a rainbow behind as it disappeared. It was sort of like that and it brought a smile to my face, knowing that the mission was over. We did it...

"WHOOOOOHOOOOOO!" all of us called out. We laughed as we all sat, knackered and battered beyond belief. We came all this way and now the toll had hit us.

I brought out my camera and started taking pictures. Then, Nico brought out the flags and we were happy to plant them. I planted my hometowns flag into the snow, as well as the flag that belong to Annabeth's home state, Virginia. Aaron definetely looked happy when he placed the flag of Great Britain into the peak.

Jason and I stood up as we decided to plant both the flags of our camps on the very peak of Everest. Luckily, someone had planted the axes into the snow, long ago. I tied the cords of Camp Half-Bloods flag around one axe while Jason did the same with Camp Jupiter's.

Finally, Aaron insisted on taking a photo of all of us. As he prepped the camera, Nico; Jason and I just hugged each other in a group hug, knowing that we had completed our journey. Earlier when I was on the Hillary Step, I said that I could do this one step at a time - and now, here I was on Everest's Summit, the highest place in the world.

Aaron joined us as the camera flashed.