Percy Jackson, the New Olympian

I Conquer the Unconquerable

I stood up from my kneeling, covered in Ladon's blood. I had done it. I had defeated the unconquerable, and in doing so gained Athena's permission to propose to Annabeth. Now we could finally live in peace. No more wars, no more monsters, just me and her growing old together surrounded by our closest friends.

"Congratulations, Perseus. You are the first being, mortal or immortal, to ever defeat Ladon. Therefore, you are the first to ever receive his spoils of war. I must admit, I am curious to see what it is." Athena said, stepping out of the bushes she had been hiding behind. I held up the shield that had appeared in the blood of Ladon. It was surprisingly lightweight, but the power I sensed from it suggested that it was more powerful than it felt. On it was painted the dragon Ladon himself, and on it's back was a figure wielding a long-bladed spear in one hand and a shield in the other. Facing the two is an army of monsters, but whether they're enemies or allies I can't tell. The design of the shield was flawless, the scene almost looked lifelike, the eyes of Landon seeming to peer into my soul, the roar of the monsters seeming to echo on the wind.

A sudden gasp from the goddess interrupted my train of thought, and I looked at her to see her eyeing the shield as if it was the most beautiful and dangerous gem in the world.

"That's Tartaric Silver! Capable of killing any being for good, immortal or otherwise! It's completely indestructible. This metal is the rarest on Earth! I can't believe that is Ladon's spoils!" she exclaimed, finally looking at me with a jealous look in her eye. "Percy, you had better claim this shield as your own now. There are those who would destroy entire civilizations to receive a mere ounce of this metal, and you have enough to make a shield."

My eyes widened, and I quickly claimed the shield. "I, Perseus James Jackson, hereby claim this shield as my own."

A sigh erupted from her lips. "To think. A mere demigod kills the one monster in all of creation to drop such spoils. I have been killing monsters for centuries, making new ones just to find one single ingot, and you find an entire shield. You are very lucky Perseus. Very lucky indeed." She said seriously, looking at me as if I were a meal. I nervously backed away. "Oh well, you have completed your task. You have my permission to propose to my daughter. May the fates be with you, young Perseus, and may you finally find what you seek."

With that, she began to glow. I quickly turned away to keep from being evaporated, and when I looked back, she was gone. I looked around at the carnage me and Ladon had caused in the Garden of Hesperides, just staring blankly until I began to smile, then chuckle, the laugh as I realized that I had done it. I had gained Athena's permission to propose to my Wise Girl. I picked up my sword off the floor where it had landed after Ladon had dissolved, put on my new shield, and began my trek home.