They had to walk for almost an hour before they found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then, they straggled back toward the dam. It was cold and windy on top (although Drako was unaffected by temperature, it wasn't the same for the others). On one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feet below, and water that churned from the dam's vents.
Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but Drako knew he smelled monsters.
"How close are they?"
Drako presence detection could go to a couple hundred of meters at maximum, and even then, a lot of people could go unnoticed if Drako doesn't concentrate on them. Grover, on the other hand, could smell the monsters. It wasn't the same, but it was enough for them right now. With the effort of both, Grover and Drako, they could more or less be prepared with enough time.
At Drako's question, Grover shook his head. "Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us… the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."
Drako love it. He wants to meet more Greek monsters; he wants to kill more Greek monsters.
Maybe he could use Gandiva to meet the Hindu gods? Maybe he could kill Hindu monsters with that.
"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia said.
"You've been here before?" Drako asked.
"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings.
"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."
Tourist were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.
"What are they doing?" Percy asked.
"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."
"Why?"
She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."
"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?"
Thalia's expression darkened. Drako could tell that she'd come here before hoping exactly that—some kind of sign from her dad. Some connection. "No. They don't do anything. They're just big metal statues."
Drako sighed and rubbed Thalia's head, earning a glare from the young huntress (she avoided it shortly after).
"Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can."
Drako cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"
Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"
"Nothing," Drako said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam French fries."
Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."
Maybe it was the fact they were so tired, but Percy started cracking up, and Thalia and Grover joined in, while Zoe just looked at them. "I do not understand."
"I want to use the dam water fountain," Grover said.
Even Bianca was laughing.
"And…" Bianca tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."
Then, it happened.
"Moooooo."
"Wait, did I just hear a cow?" Drako asked.
"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.
"No," Grover said. "I also hear that."
Zoe listened. "I hear nothing."
"Me either," Bianca said.
Thalia was looking at Percy. "Percy, are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."
"What's wrong?" Grover asked.
"Nothing," he said. "I… I just need a minute. To think."
They doubted, but they finally left him alone for a few minutes.
........
"Something is wrong with him," Drako said.
"Yeah," Thalia said. "He doesn't know how to hide it."
"You don't know how to do it either."
"Shut up!"
"Drako is telling the truth, Thalia," Bianca joked.
"Brat…"
At that moment, Grover face darkened. "Monsters are nearby," he said.
Drako focused his presence detection, searching for these monsters. It didn't take him too much to find Percy, who seems to be talking to a strange cow-serpent.
Wait…
The fuck was that animal?
Ignoring the strange but weak "monster", Drako searched nearby. He suspected the monsters that were here, and if it was them, they were going to search for Percy.
It didn't take him too much to found the skeletons soldiers. And Drako wasn't the only one to noticed them, as Percy also saw them. He started to run, avoiding the skeletons as much as possible.
"We have to run," Drako said. "They are here."
"Who?" Zoë asked.
"The skeletons."
The group paled. Grover shouted anxiously, "What about Percy!?"
"He is already on his way out; he noticed the skeletons on his own."
The group got up, as they were going to start their lunch. Bianca looked reluctantly at her chips, but she finally decided to let them go. Thalia was the same as Bianca, looking at a pair of burritos.
Drako followed Percy with his aura, looking in which direction was he going to group with him. A group of skeletons were following him, and Percy looked like he finally reached a dead end.
There, Drako noticed how Percy tried to cut half a young girl of his age, but he couldn't because his sword can't harm mortals. Not even ten seconds earlier, that same girl saved his life.
"Percy is coming here, prepare to run," Drako said.
Twenty seconds later, Percy reached the café.
"We need to leave," he gasped. "Now!"
All of them were already prepared. Zoe muttered an Ancient Greek curse when she saw the skeletons.
The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill them.
Two on the east side of the road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols.
But their immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing Percy now appeared on the stairs. They saw them from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.
"Elevator!" Grover said.
"We can't," Drako said. "There are three more coming from there."
Just as he said. The elevator doors opened with a ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. They were completely surrounded.
"Be careful," Drako said. "These warriors are not weak, and your skin can't resist bullets. Moreover, they can't die, or we don't know how to kill them."
"As you can resist bullets," Thalia spat.
"Oh, I can," Drako smiled lightly.
"Dragon bullshit," Zoe muttered.
Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea.
"Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.
Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. Drako wasn't sure what the other kids in the café saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.
The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.
In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then they all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past their heads.
"What now?" Grover asked as they burst outside.
The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. They ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put their backs to the mountain.
"Should I transform in my dragon form? You can get on my back and we can go out of here flying," Drako asked.
Zoë denied with her head. "That's must be the last option. Even the mist has it limits."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Info!
I thought of creating this section so, when I have to take something from the wiki (a concept that you readers have to know to understand the story), I can put it down here and not in the middle of the story.
Tell me if you want to see more this section. I can explain various things in every 2-3 chapters so you guys can understand more.
[Mist]
The Mist is the supernatural force that twists a mortal's sight from seeing monsters, gods, Titans, and other supernatural occurrences by replacing them with things the mortal mind knows about and can comprehend. Some mortals can see through the Mist as well. Demigods and mythical creatures can all see through the Mist at most times, though sometimes the Mist is strong enough to fool even demigods.
It is Hecate's job to make sure the mythological events are replaced with visions of normality. Under the influence of Mist, a mortal would see gods or monsters as ordinary humans or animals and supernatural objects become commonplace items. The Mist cannot only distort vision, but also creates false memories and suppresses real ones.
The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around them. Their brethren from the café was running up to join them. No matter what Drako tries, they still got up and reached them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.
"Six against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."
"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.
Drako was thinking hard. What can he do in this situation? He could "kill" them, but they were going to revive in the next second. He couldn't use a Noble Phantasm in this place, as it would not only destroy this historic and famous place, he will also kill the rest of people and even his own teammates!
And, even if he uses the Noble Phantasm, Drako didn't know if they were going to kill the skeletons at all!
They were unkillable!
No, there was a possibility.
Bianca killed one of those skeletons back then. Maybe, if they can coordinate well, they could manage to kill some of them.
"I have a plan," Drako said.
They didn't say anything, but Drako knew they were listening to him.
"The same strategy as before, each one takes one skeleton."
"We can't do that!" Percy said. "They are too much of them!"
"Zoe, Percy, Grover and Thalia, you four are going to fight against other four skeletons," Drako explained. "Try not to die."
They hesitated, but Zoe finally nodded.
"What about me?" Bianca asked.
"You are going to fight with me, against the other seven skeletons," Drako said.
"But—" Bianca hesitated.
It was normal for her to hesitate. She only had 12 years, and this was her first mission. Not only that, as she almost killed all the team with a mistake the past day.
"You just need to stay beside me and follow my orders," Drako said. "If I'm correct, we can kill these undeads if we work together."
Bianca was still hesitating, but she finally nodded. They didn't have any more time, as they had the skeletons a few meters away of them.
"Let's go!"
The skeletons closed in. Just like Drako has ordered, each one of them ran into a skeleton.
Percy raised Riptide, and the sword met with the baton of one of the skeletons. Thalia held up her shield, protecting herself from the bullets. Zoe pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head. Behind Zoe, Grover continued with his Burrito's strategy, throwing them to another skeleton.
Right now, each one of them was with one skeleton. Drako ran into another one who tried to sneak behind Percy and kicked him a few meters away. The kick was so strong that the skeleton bones spread out on the ground.
"Now, Bianca!" Drako said. "Attack those bones with your knives!"
Bianca ran towards those bones with her Celestial Bronze Hunting Knives. Drako tried to protect her and the rest of the group from the other six skeletons using his bow.
The skeleton had already rearmed itself when Bianca reached it, and they started a close combat fight. Bianca wasn't as skilled with the knives as Zoe, not even near, but she was far stronger than the monster. Even if she struggled while fighting, sooner or later she managed to hit the skeleton.
Just like last time, the skeleton erupted into flames.
Drako's theory was more or less prove at this moment. For some reason, Bianca could kill these skeletons.
To Drako's frustration, he didn't get any exp from that kill. It was such a pity that Bianca was the only one that could do it.
How? And… why?
How could Bianca kill those skeletons?
She has the same knives as Zoe, and she was a demigod as Thalia or Percy. Thalia was also a mix of hunter and demigod. There was nothing special on Bianca.
So… why could she kill them? What was the difference between Bianca and the others?
Drako had a theory, and it was related to this difference.
The only difference between Bianca and the others was their parents.
Drako knew that at least his mother was a dragon, although he didn't know anything about his father. Percy was the son of Poseidon and a mortal, the same goes with Thalia and Zeus. Zoe is one of the Hesperides, so Drako knew more or less who her father was. And Grover… he is a satyr.
But who was Bianca's godly parent?
Is a he or a she?
Drako's theory was that Bianca's godly parent was related to death.
Thanatos, Nyx or… Hades.
There were more death or dark related gods in the Greek pantheon for sure, but those three were more or less the more prominent ones.
Well, it doesn't matter right now. The truth is that Bianca can kill the skeletons, so they have a way to win this battle.
Drako continues fighting against the other six skeletons. Percy, Thalia and Zoe were doing pretty well, but it was obvious that they were starting to get out of fuel. The accumulated fatigue was showing in the battle. It was especially present in Percy and Grover, the two who had not received Artemis' blessing.
When he saw that Bianca has finished the skeleton, he threw another one to her. As the monster was already "dead", Bianca only need to strike once to kill it definitely.
With that, two of the skeletons were dead.
The skeletons were… well, skeletons. But they didn't seem to be stupid. Just like last time, they started to be wearier of Drako and Bianca.
"Huh? You guys know what being scared means?" Drako muttered, amused by this sight.
"But, even if you don't want to proactively attack, I can go for you."
Drako ran straight to one of the skeletons, not even caring to look at the other five. With a slash of Laevatein, he severed the head of the skeleton. Drako grabbed that head and threw it toward a ready Bianca.
Without fear in her eyes, Bianca stabbed the skull of the skeleton.
Now, three of the skeletons were dead.
This team Drako-Bianca was destroying the skeletons, monsters that induce fear to Zoe, like they were little and harmful monsters.
It happened at that moment.
Suddenly, Drako noticed that two unanimated objects gained life.
"Man, it feels good to stand up!" A tinny and rusty voice was heard by Drako. He looked over jus to see the two big bronze statues in the air in front of Thalia and Percy.
They were obviously protecting them.
The other skeletons opened fire, but it was useless. The bronze angels stepped in front of everyone and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.
"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.
Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus kid?"
"Yes!"
"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus' Kid?" an angel asked.
"Please!"
Then angels looked at each other and shrugged.
"Could use a stretch," one decided.
One of the angels grabbed Thalia and Percy, the other grabbed Zoe and Grover, and they flew straight up, over the dam and the river.
"Wait, did they just leave us here?" Bianca asked.
The skeletons started to surround both of them. Now that the rest of the team has left, all of the skeletons went to attack the pair dragon-demigod.
"Well, I think that we must follow them," Drako said. "We're going to lose them if we don't hurry."
"But… how are we going to do that!?"
"Flying, of course."
As Bianca looked on wide-eyed, a pair of dragon wings flew off Drako's back.
"Hold me tight," Drako said.
"What do you—"
Drako carried her like a princess before flying off in the direction the statues had gone.
The statues had been flying for about thirty seconds but were considerably slower than Drako. It did not take him long to find them and reach them.
When they finally reached the rest of the group, they heard Zoe speaking.
"We are in the Sierras," Zoe yelled. She and Grover were hanging from the arms of one of the statues. "I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."
"Hey, hey, Frisco!" the other angel said. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"
"Oh, man," Zoe's angel said. "I am so there!"
"You guys have visited San Francisco?" Percy asked.
"We automatons gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" Percy statue said. "Those mechanics took us over to the Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"
"Hank!" the other statue called Chuck cut in. "They're kids, man."
"Oh, right. Back to flying."
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