Children of the Heroes: Omega

Chapter 24: The Battle

Jake POV

Everything happened so fast, my ADHD starting kicking in and my reflexes took over. I was fighting Chariclo head on, both of us duel-wielding.

 As I was fighting, the blood pounding in my ears, I became aware of what was happening around me. Zac, Rayn, and Clare were struggling to hold their ground; Savannah and Felix we're growing weaker, Lux wasn't able to fight anymore; my mo- Annabeth and Leo we're growing tired. Chariclo was still charging at me like a bull.

 The hard part of the battle wasn't the battle itself, but knowing that our own campers were against us; and trying not to hurt them. I heard a scream, then a screech. I threw one of my swords like a boomerang and ran. 

The scream was Rayn, and the screech was Griff. My lungs felt like they we're going to explode, I ran and jumped onto Griff. He ran across the ground until I could lift Rayn by her armor into the air.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'll be fine, tis but a flesh wound," she replied with a slight chuckle. Her arm had been sliced and bleeding profusely. "We can't hold here forever."

"I know, but I can't think of a Plan B," Griff was going in circles over the battle.

"Well, think of everything we have done and how that could be applied to this situation."

"I can't think right now Rayn! My adrenaline is so high I could run a triathlon!" Next thing I knew my face was stinging.

"Chill. Breath. There's a construction site just over that hill, near that pine tree, that's where they are keeping the amphisbaena. Drop me off on the ground, pick up Clare, clear a path for us to run, and we'll meet you there."

"Okay, Griff.... drive." The second I said it, he tucked in his wings and shot down. Faster and faster we plummeted towards the ground. Rayn called Clare's name and she looked up. Griff spread out his wings and did a fast circle. Rayn jumped off and had enough momentum to throw her high enough to catch my hand.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Clare screamed at me. I lifted her up and we rode in a straight line. 

I looked to the left and to the right to see everyone chasing after me. Griff was knocking campers out of the way like a bowling ball.

"I need your help freeing the amphisbaena. They'll meet us there." I replied. We gained air and went higher into the sky. That's when I said a quick prayer to Zeus begging him not to knock us out of the sky.

"You're crazy, you know that right?" I turned back to look at her.

"Only a little. You know you're beautiful right?" she blushed.

"I'm a grand daughter of Aphrodite after all," It was now or never; I leaned forward (or backward) and kissed her. Suddenly there was no battle, it was just us riding majestically on a giant lion bird...

"You got one more fight left in you?" I asked turning back to steer.

"Just watch me...," Just then a volley of arrows flew at us. We did some loops and swerves to avoid them, then dove for the cage of the amphisbaena. Right before we landed Clare jumped off and 

started battling the archers. As I approached the monster, who wasn't much of a monster, he got excited and started shaking.

"Griff, blast the chains!" I tell him.
Griff let out a screech and started charging up an attack.
"Now!"

Griff released a huge ball of flames at the chains. They glowed a bright yellow, then melted away.

Amphisbaena wasted no time at all. As soon as the hole was big enough for it to fit through, one head shot through, almost knocking me over.

As the second head came out, I started to move back to Griff. Before I could get there, an army of cyclops came storming over to contain the Amphisbaena.

I drew my blades as they attacked from all sides with axes and spears all screaming out. I attacked with one arm and defended myself with the other.

While be circled by cyclops, I did not notice what was happening above me. Chariclo was trying to escape on a Hydra. She stood on all fours on the huge monster's back, holding the reins with one hand and a spear in the other.

Rayn caught sight of her too because she pulled back and aimed with her bow. An arrow shot through the sky hitting Chariclo in the shoulder. She fell off her ride and landed on a large construction beam above the Amphisbaena.

I saw my mother scale the support beams up towards Chariclo.

Annabeth POV
The wind blew harshly from where I was now. I watched as Chariclo struggled to stand up her four 

legs again.

As she rose, I pulled out a dagger.

"Annabeth Chase. How heroic of you to risk your life to save your friends and family."

"What happened to you? What made you do this?"

"I was given better options..." she pulled two blades off of her back.

"Gaea will just toss you aside once she's done with you, that's worth destroying everything you were? The life you used to have?"

"The old me was weak and pitiful! I never gained anything but a bunch of whiny demigods. But when Gaea came to me, my eyes were opened! I could be so much more!"

She lunged at me with both swords coming down. Her right front leg was hurt from the fall, so I blocked her right blade with my dagger. The other sword was deflected with my shield.

Both of us push against each others weight, face to face, trying to keep our balance on the beam. She spit in my face as we both released and swung fiercely.

I managed to jump up and avoid a low cut from her blade, and ended up behind her. Perfect.
Her body was too long to turn around on the beam.

"Ha! You think you've outsmarted me, daughter of Athena??" Her voice was shaky.

"Don't try it, Clo! Your leg is hurt, you won't make it! I don't want to hurt you...I once called you my friend."
"Guide me, Gaea!!" She yelled, back flipping into the air. She reached out and stabbed through my chest with her sword.

I saw a crazed look in her eyes then a shocked one as she realized her fate. She missed the beam and fell down towards Amphisbaena. It looked up at her as she fell screaming. Both heads bared their fangs as if wanting revenge.

That was the last we saw of Chariclo.

I looked down at my tattered orange shirt, soaking with blood...

The beam shook from the stunt and I fell off the edge.

Everything from then on was like a dream...

As I fell I remembered Falling to Tarturus...

Leo came swooping in out of no where and caught me, riding on a small Festus.

When I saw him I remembered the first time we met, when he found that metal dragon, when he fired at New Rome...

I looked across the battle field. Then farther. I saw the old beaten down Camp Half Blood.

I remembered loosing a friend at the hill, raising myself, waiting and waiting, when Percy came and defeated the Minotaur and changed my life...

I remembered all the feasts and capture the flag games and all the good times I've had with my new family...

Then I saw nothing.