(Y/N)'s POV

"When you're fighting more then one opponent, always keep them in front of you if you can." He nodded, "So you can tell when they're about to attack?" "Yeah, if you ever get blindsided, it's over, that simple."

"Sure if you're strong enough you can fight for a while, but then it's just a matter of time." He seemed unconvinced, "But what if there's too many to keep an eye on all at once?" I thought about that question.

"Well, first off, you should never put yourself in a position where you're that badly outnumbered. If you're feeling strong enough, I'd fight maybe fight three at once max...but even then...it's rough."

"Avoid a circle, make a line." I said simply, "Don't get surrounded, keep everyone in front of you and back up as best you can. Run if you have to-" "Run! But we're heroes, we can't run!" Nico said, almost spitting out his soda.

I nodded, "Sure, sometimes we can't, when we're protecting someone, or if it's a dire situation. But in a situation where you have a good chance of escaping, running is just another strategy, it's not cowardice, it's self preservation." "But we can't just-"

"-Yes, we can and we should, a lot more demigods would be alive and kicking if they remembered that. So, remember, if you need to. Run. Just run. It's not about pride or strength at that point, it's survival."

"Do anything you can to escape, bite, claw, bust their head with a rock. Sure they'll reform, but you'll escape. That's all that matters." He looked a little upset we weren't fairy tale heroes who could beat armies. But nodded.

"Monster can shred you to pieces in the bink of an eye, remember that. They don't play nice. Try to keep one in front of you all the time, Monsters aren't usually that smart, so they'll stumble over each other to attack. That gives you time to run."

"But what if you have no choice, and there's no escape?" He asked, "Never. And I mean never go to the floor, you're either going to be kicked or crushed and it's hard to get out that way. And you might think it's a good idea to put your back to a wall. Don't"

"But I thought you want to keep everyone in your sights? You just said-" "Nico, I know what I said, I'm explaining the ways it can and can't work, so you're prepared regardless, just pay attention."

He quietened down, "Sure, it can help in some cases, you don't have to worry about being hit in the back of the head. Head on a swivel, no blind spots. I get it, but in a real fight, congratulations, you just cornered yourself and now there's no escape."

"Fighting multiple monsters or people is a whole different ballgame to a single monster, this is all stuff you'll get a feel for as you gain more experience, until then you have me to bug with all your questions. Now make a move, it's your turn and my Hermes is waiting to kick your butt."

It was a strange recollection of a memory at this moment, and I think my body's way of telling me I was being an idiot, I faded back into reality, reeling from a particularly good punch and I had a lot of questions for myself.

"What am I doing? What the hell am I even trying to prove?" I thought as my back slammed into a tree and the wind got pushed out of me. "Why the hell should I care what these nobodies think of me? I could tear them apart!"

My thought left me as soon as the air left my lungs, the pain tripled what it should have been thanks to my stitches burning. My hearing came back to me next, I heard signs of a struggle, some groans of discomfort and a wail of pain. There were five left.

After I recovered from his tackle, I caught the guy in front of me in a clinch and kneed him in the chest, using him as a sort of barrier between me and the others, they were swinging at me with their fists, but could barely reach me over their friend.

I tried to swivel away from the tree so I could keep some distance but it was too late, they were all around me, all punching and kicking at me. I threw the guy I had grappled into them to try and make a break for it.

It was only for a second, there was a small gap between two of them I could run through if I barged them out of my way. In a normal fight I would have already been out of here in shadow form, but I promised no magic and no weapons.

So I had to run for it, as they staggered over their friend I used the opening to run as fast as I could away from my attackers. I was clear of them for a few seconds, and slowly gaining ground as they gave chase.

Just before I turned to face them again, readying myself for another round of fighting, I heard a loud "Crack!" and suddenly I was falling, my leg was numb, in my shock, I looked down in time to see another blow fall, a staff of metal hitting me in the shin.

I couldn't even cry out in pain I was in so much shock, "Caught you." Said a hazy voice as I tried to scramble to my feet, only to be hit again by the Athena camper who had been so boisterous before. His voice mingled with a mix of others.

"What are you doing!" A voice roared, "We wanted a real fight. We had him running scared!" Another agreed, but he silenced them quickly with a threatening glance, and turned back to me. I tried to back away, but my back met another tree.

I looked up at the Athena camper in disgust, "You used a weapon" I smiled at him with bloody teeth, "You lose." I said in spite. He laughed. "I disagree, and besides, this is what you deserve. Traitor." He said as his staff hit me in the bridge of the nose and my head hit the bark of the tree.

Annabeth's POV

"Quintus found him as we hunted the Drakon, Mrs O'Leary led him straight there, we found him in a pool of blood." Lee reported to Chiron as me and Selina kept pace beside them, "Who did this?" Silena demanded, Lee shook his head, "We're trying to get him stable first, then we'll figure it out."

He looked worriedly at Chiron, "But...I don't know...it's pretty bad, and we don't know how to treat him, it's like everything's reversed, we can't use healing magic to treat him because he snuffs it out before we can, but if we don't..."

"Lee, I understand you shall struggle, but we promised him sanctuary, if we are to break our oath in such a way and leave him to die, we may bring war down on our own heads, it is not by coincidence that the hellhound led us to the boy."

I finally spoke up, "How did this happen, I know people don't like him being here, but why would anyone do this? Who could do this?" Lee explained as my anger reached it's boiling point, "We know it was more then six people."

"There was a sudden increase in lost teeth and broken bones this morning, a bunch of campers came to us with minor injuries like that, we thought it was just rough early morning training. And they all had alibis. We didn't think anything of it...until..." he trailed off.

"They ambushed him?" Silena said, furious, biting her nail in frustration and looking uneasy, Lee shrugged, "Maybe, but I don't see him going out like that though. It doesn't even seem like he fought back much, maybe he didn't have a chance."

He paused for a second, as if unsure whether to tell us something, he looked at Chiron, who nodded, "We...we think they poisoned him." "What!" Silena and I said in unison. "We don't know where they got it from, but it's an old, potent poison, I've never seen it before."

"And that slash he has across his chest isn't normal either, someone stitched him up really well, but he shouldn't have even been moving, let alone fighting." "I doubt he had much choice." I snapped.

"I know. But he was outside of the camp, he could have just done that darkness teleport thing. So why didn't he?" Lee asked, Chiron's shoulders slumped, he came to a conclusion that I thought was unlikely.

"(Y/N) has always been a prideful person perhaps he sought to deal with the issue alone, perhaps he just bit off more than he could chew this time." He said, but even he looked unconvinced, if (Y/N) could fight off the gods, why not their children?

I just couldn't believe this. "Chiron, what are we going to do about this? Someone needs to be punished for it" He looked downtrodden, "I am afraid what's done is done child, when he awakes, (Y/N) may lead us to his attackers. Until then, all we can do is speculate, and hope."

"For now, I shall personally see to his recovery and see if I can devise the origin of this poison, Lee, you shall assist me-" "But we don't know-" Chiron cut him off with a frown. "Mr Fletcher this is a dire situation. I trust you can make do."

Lee quickly shut up and scurried off to meet his brothers and sisters who were treating (Y/N), "Annabeth, come with me, Selina you-" "-I can work my way through the camp, see if I find anyone gloating, or hear any rumours" She insisted, looking ready to bust some heads.

"Very well." Chiron nodded, once she left Chiron turned too me, "There is no need to worry child, (Y/N) has fought of greater perils then this and lived to boast about it." I nodded, but a pit had opened up in my stomach.

Tears began to mist up my eyes as I even considered the thought. "But Chiron, if you can't do anything about the poison...what if..." I couldn't even say it. He pulled me into a hug. "I trust it shall not, but if the worst is to happen, we must prepare for war."

(Y/N)'s POV

"I DID IT! I DID IT!" He held his hands up to the sky in celebration. "Did you see that!" He asked as I chuckled, "Well there wasn't much else to watch, so yeah Nico, I saw it." He was huffing and puffing.

As the monster disappeared he stood over it triumphantly. Sweat made the dust stick to him, he looked like a little psycho. "I was pretty amazing wasn't I?" He said brashly, I nodded. "Yep, pretty cool kid."

"That thing has so much attack power, and a bonus to constitution saving throws, but I was like 'Wachaaa' and he just turned to dust!" He chirped happily, bouncing up and down. "Nico, I know...I was there."

"And speaking of dust." I pointed to the matted mess that was his hair after he had basically killed a monster while being halfway down it's gullet. "Gross! Do they all do this?" I nodded, but when he failed to wipe the dust off, I knew what was coming next, a rookie mistake.

"Don't-" He tried to shake it off like a dog, it didn't work, if anything it just made it worse because now the dust was in his hair and it stuck up like he had been electrocuted. "-Shake. Don't ever try to shake. It never works."

"It just gets caught and spreads like that. The key is to brush" I said,  demonstrating my miming wiping the hair out of my eyes as I laughed at his attempts to flatten his hair. He attempted to imitate me.

But as he got to the back of his head he ended going in circles like a dog chasing his tail. Seriously, this kid was so hyperactive, even for a demigod. "It won't -Ahhh!" He said as he tripped over his shoelaces and fell back harshly.

"Oof" He grunted as he landed on his back. I helped him up and smiled at him, "Any missing limbs kid?" "Nope!" "Any cuts or bruises?" "Nope!" "Okay, are you dead yet?" "Nope!" He sounded off.

"Good, then let's go celebrate your first slain monster with some food. One down, a lifetime more to go!" He did his victory pose thing again, "Yesss!" "But first. We need to find a hose, or a water fountain." I teased, "No! I'll be fine. I can brush it out!"

"I dunno, a hose would be faster..." "Stop being mean!" I chuckled, "Fine, but next time, wait until after it roars in your face to kill it. Otherwise I will have to bring a hose." I cautioned. He shrugged, "Whatever, I basically got this down pat anyway."

The scene changed, but I was too focused on the moment to care, "This is stupid." Nico said, covering his eyes, "Just stand still, besides, I warned you didn't I?" I couldn't see them, but I could tell that he rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure this is okay?" He asked, "Don't worry, I used to do this all the time, now brace yourself." I said, "Okay, just warn me when you-" Nico didn't finish his sentence as I used a hose to clean him off.

"Hey!" He said when I was done, "Well we needed to hurry up. Now lets go!" I reasoned, he frowned at me and said, "Sure, one more thing though." "What is-" A hose went off with the power of a shotgun and I was drenched from head to foot.

The hose writhed everywhere as Nico let it go to hold his sides, spraying practically the whole neighbourhood "That's what you get!" He declared, immensely proud of himself for pulling one over on me.

"Oh...you think that's funny?" He giggled away, "Yeah!" He was in fits, I laughed along with him, "Now next time a monster takes a swipe at you, I'm just gonna watch. Then we'll see who's laughing."

He stuck out his tongue as we ran away from the yard we had just sprayed with water to clean his hair off. "Bring it on! I'm not afraid!" He said as we scurried away. He then let out a yelp as the homeowner ran out onto his lawn and began shouting as we sprinted off.

I was now aware of the fact I was dreaming, and it was weird, I was in the middle of a fight, why was I being shown this stuff? Who cares about what I did over summer, I just want to kick that Athena guy's teeth in.

It was when the sensation hit me that I understood, the same feeling of a droplet rolling down my face, tracing it's way from my hairline, down my brow, across my nose and onto my lip, the same way the water had.

Only this wasn't the taste of water, or even the normal taste of blood, with some metallic hints to it sure, but the liquid burned in my tongue, a taste of something rotting filling my mouth. In disgust, I opened my eyes, and I saw her.

Annabeth's POV

Chiron took me with him to the room that had been outfitted as a makeshift first aid station in the big house, we passed Clarisse and Chris as we entered. Once I saw him, I wished I hadn't come with Chiron.

A lump formed in my throat. (Y/N) was strapped to the bad, shadows coiled around him protectively, but I could still see that he was in bad shape. His body bruised and battered, from his face to his hands, there wasn't a part of him without an injury.

But that wasn't what scared me the most, those wounds could be healed by Chiron easily, but his reaction to (Y/N)'s chest wound was one I rarely ever saw. He almost pushed me out of the way to reach him.

"What evil is this. What manner of cruelty..." He traced his hands over (Y/N)'s chest, and while the wound improved, Chiron didn't seem relieved. His eyes were darting around the room at all the ingredients in the room, he grabbed a book in the corner and thumbed through it.

He found a page and went silent. "The jailers blades..." He mumbled, his hand combing his hair like it does when he got really worried, "The poor boy...so young..." I was terrified, "Chiron...you don't mean there's nothing you can do right? There has to be something you can do!"

He looked at me grimly, "I believe the blade that struck (Y/N) was coated with poison, but a poison that most would dread to even behold, an ancient concoction that will cause anyone who is hit by it to shrivel to dust and die."

"(Y/N)'s body is working to burn off the poison, a feat not many would be capable of, even amongst the most talented magically skilled heroes, his bloodline most likely saves him. I do not know how, but little by little, (Y/N) has been purging himself of the ailment."

"That's good right?" He shook his head, "Not entirely, to do so, he is undergoing changes, what changes I am yet unsure. Until he wakes, his condition cannot be verified." I reached out to (Y/N)'s hand.

The shadows parted for me, like they knew I wasn't a threat, but as I reached for his hand, my fingers slipped through his. I looked up to Chiron to see if he had caught it, he sighed, "It is worse then I feared. His body is already failing him."

Before I could ask, Chiron explained, "His body is used to falling apart, and has been fighting against the worst of the poison for some time now, even instinctively. But if it is not purged soon, he shall either fall to the poison, or fade into shadow."

"I must seek out a remedy." He said urgently, leaving the room. For the next hour I sat in the room, hoping for (Y/N)'s recovery, I couldn't lose him too, not after everything we had been through, I didn't know how I would cope.

He didn't move at all, barely even taking a breath, I was panicked for a while, but when he did move, it shocked me much more. He squeezed my hand comfortingly and opened his eyes, ripping off his binds.

(Y/N)'s POV

The black void like eyes of Akhlys were staring at me with a burning hatred, "Had enough misery yet little one? Do you think this is punishment enough for your sins?" She asked me like I knew what that meant. If I could I would have sighed, "What have I done now?" I thought.

"If you are wondering why this has come to pass mortal...you brought it on yourself!" She hissed, a green vapour similar to the oracle's pouring out her mouth, only this one was so toxic it burned the floor around me.

"You took my prey from me! The pure one was mine to take! MINE! And by denying me my rightful spirit, you deny your right to a natural death. May the poison take you. A soul for a soul! You have crossed me, may your painful death make you a worthy sacrifice to Lady Nyx."

I glared at her, thinking, "Nyx won't let this happen, we shouldn't be infighting, we have a war to wage." But she just laughed as the grass around us died. "Lady Nyx cannot save you once more child."

"It is one of our ancient laws! We do not interfere with one another's work, any infringement must be punished and repaid in turn, a soul was taken from me! A soul is owed! And unfortunately for you little human, only one resides in your reach."

"Sorry auntie, I'm already like, a billion souls in debt, so get in line." She laughed at that, horribly and dryly. "No, no. That payment is yet to come, this one is ongoing. You shall suffer until your final breath and once it is drawn, I shall have my payment!"

With that she was gone, and the wound on my chest burned ten times hotter, like it was about to burn a hole straight through my chest, I don't know how long I remained conscious but I knew that Akhlys left me a lot of time to think.

Before I woke, I had a realisation, a realisation that set me free from all my worries. And in a horrible way, I had never felt better. And now there was only one thing on my mind, only one thing I wanted.

Annabeth's POV

When he awoke he said one word. "Food." As he sat up like Frankenstein's Monster, he smiled at me happily, "Good morning Annabeth, lovely day with you around," he added, swinging his legs off his bed.

"Wait, you shouldn't be moving." He shrugged, "I'll be good as soon as I've fixed something for breakfast. Don't you worry." He smiled once more, but something was off, something was wrong. It looked fake.

He took my hand as he led me to the dining pavilion for breakfast, there was a lot of chatter today. Not only just about (Y/N). Apparently around three in the morning an Aethiopian drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp.

The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in our defences, and it didn't seem anxious to go away until Lee Fletcher from Apollo's cabin led a couple of his siblings in pursuit.

After a few dozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon's armour, it got the message and withdrew. "It's still out there," Lee warned us during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. Its eyes—" He shuddered.

"You did well, Lee." Chiron patted him on the shoulder after having returned from messaging the Party ponies'. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before." "Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves. Everyone knew the rumours: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. Most of us expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when.

It didn't help that our attendance was down. We only had about eighty campers. Chiron was bluffing to (Y/N) yesterday about having more, I wish we had, but most had either defected or stayed away for their own safety.

"This is a good reason for new war games," Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight." "Yes . . ." Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat."

He raised his goblet. "To the gods!" We all raised our glasses and repeated the blessing. Over the span of breakfast, I was chatting with my siblings and looked around at my friends. Percy and Tyson were eating together.

As were (Y/N) and Zoe, but I noticed they were having a hushed conversation, and Zoe began to looked worried. I was about to go over and check on them, but (Y/N) stood up, he looked right at me and smiled.

He first dumped some food in the brazier, actually all of his remaining food, and with an empty tray he kept walking over to me, smiling. I was curious as to why he wanted to speak over breakfast, not that I was complaining.

As he got closer, some boys from my cabin started to snicker amongst themselves, I shot them a glare and by the time I looked back, (Y/N) had left my eyesight, by the time I saw him, all I could do was gasp.

As did the rest of the camp, each of us frozen in shock as (Y/N) raised a silver platter over his head and whipped it around into the temple of one of my siblings. A sickening 'CLANG!' Silenced the entire camp.

My sibling crumpled almost immediately, "Something funny?" (Y/N) asked psychotically, "You were laughing so heartily a second ago. Why don't you let everyone in on the joke?" 'Clang!' "What's wrong? It was so funny earlier." 'Clang!'

"C'mon, tell everyone what's so funny!" He screamed, this time the 'Clang' had a more of a dull thud to it. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY!" He said as someone finally stopped him, pulling him away from our table.

He kicked the downed camper. "Are you laughing now! ARE YOU?" He screamed as Silena sprinted away, dragging him by the hand. What had I just witnessed, what had he done?