I finished lacing up my converse and looked across from me towards the only other occupied bunk in the cabin. Percy's bunk.

I look to the wall above it and see a cluster of pictures. I noticed a younger-looking Annabeth in a lot of pictures usually standing next to a boy. A boy with messy black hair and a smile that could give Leo a run for his money. But what stood out to me the most were his eyes which looked exactly like mine. Percy. I grazed my hand of a picture of him with a large plate of what looked like...blue cookies? "That was taken a few Christmases ago" I turned around to see Annabeth with a coat and her backpack on ready to head back out.

"He looks so happy and carefree," I said. "I expected him to look more serious. After all the stories about his quests"

Annabeth shakes her head "Seaweed Brain hardly took anything seriously." She said as a small smile makes its way onto her face.

"Seaweed Brain?" I asked letting out a small laugh.

"It's a long story," she replied.

The small smile I had slowly slips of my face I turn back towards the picture. My eyes never leaving.

"Do you think... he's going to like me?" I asked.

"At first Percy didn't care for having a half-brother, Tyson, he's out looking for Percy, but he soon realized having a half-sibling wasn't so bad. I don't think he would mind another one." She says nudging my shoulder. She lets out a sigh and turns to my bunk bed. She sees my backpack on the bed.

"All set?" She asks.

I nodded my head.

"Good, I'm going to cabin one to talk to Jason. Do you want to come?" She asked.

"Yeah, um I want to check something, so I'll meet you there in a second."

That answer seemed to be enough for her because she nodded her head and made her way out of the cabin. I quickly double-checked the pack and I looked off towards Percy's bunk and without a second thought, I grabbed the picture from earlier and slipped it into the bag, and made my way to cabin one.

I make my way out of the cabin. To see Leo...on a giant bronze dragon.

"Leo?" I heard Piper yell. I make my way next to her.

The camp alarm went up before he even landed. A conch horn sounded. All the satyrs ran around screaming, "Don't kill me!"

Half the camp was running outside in a mix of armor and pajamas.

Leo landed in the middle of the green, and he yelled, "It's cool! Don't shoot!"

The archers lowered their bows hesitantly. The warriors backed away but kept their swords and spears at the ready. They made a wide ring around the mechanical dragon. Other demigods hid behind their cabin doors or peeped out their windows. Nobody seemed to be too eager to get close.

The dragon itself was huge. It glistened in the sun like a living penny sculpture—different shades of copper and bronze—a sixty-foot-long serpent with steel talons and drill-bit teeth and glowing ruby eyes. It had bat-like wings twice its length that unfurled like metal sails, making a sound like coins cascading out of a slot machine every time they flapped.

"It's beautiful," I heard Piper muttered.

"Not just beautiful, magnificent," I replied. Of course, the other demigods just stared at us like we were crazy.

The dragon then reared its head and shot a column of fire into the sky.

Campers backed away and hefted their weapons, but Leo slid calmly off the dragon's back. He held his hands up like he was surrendering, except he still had that crazy grin on his face.

"People of Earth, I come in peace!" he shouted. His army coat and his face were covered in soot. His hands were grease-stained, and he wore a new tool belt around his waist. His eyes were bloodshot. His curly hair was covered in oil, and he smelled like tabasco sauce, but he never seemed more handsome. "Festus is just saying hello!"

"That thing is dangerous!" an Ares girl shouted, brandishing her spear. "Kill it now!

"Stand down!" someone ordered.

Jason? Wow didn't know he had it in him to take charge like that. He pushed through the crowd, flanked by Annabeth and Nyssa.

Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"

"Found a ride!" Leo beamed. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"

"It—has wings." Nyssa stammered. Her jaw was ready to hit the floor any minute.

"Yeah!" Leo said. "I found them and reattached them."

"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?"

Leo hesitated; I could tell there was something he wasn't telling us.

"In...the woods," he said. "Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire." Oh, he was definitely hiding something.

"Mostly?" Nyssa asked.

The dragon's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid—probably oil—poured out of its ear and all over Leo.

"Just a few kinks to work out," Leo said.

"But how did you survive...?" Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. "I mean, the fire breath..."

"I'm quick," Leo said. "And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?"

Jason scratched his head. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?" Somehow that seems fitting for us.

The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings.

"That's a yes, bro!" Leo said. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the—um, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."

Jason frowned. "But we haven't planned anything yet. We can't just—"

"Go," Annabeth said. She was the only one who didn't look nervous. Her expression was sad and wistful, a look she's given me plenty of times. She continues talking to Jason.

I make my way closer to the dragon. I run my hand over the smooth coppery hide. It's warmer than I expected. "So, this is where you went off to last night," I said a small smirk on my lips.

"You noticed I was gone?" he asked.

"Of course, I noticed you were gone, you're not invisible Leo." I glance at Leo. He gives me a look I can't figure out.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask.

"Oh—uh no reason!" he said looking away, scratching the back of his neck.

Jason and Piper make their way over and we take that as our queue to get on Festus.
"You gonna be okay?" Leo asked me.

"Not likely but we don't really have any other option," I say not hiding the fear in my voice.

"Hey, Mel!" Annabeth called out. "If you ever need help in a fight, just whistle. Okay?" I nod in understanding, she then backs away allowing Festus to take off. 

The air up high was freezing cold, but Festus' hide created enough heat to keep us warm. The grooves in the hide were designed like high-tech saddles, which were pretty comfortable. The thing I was most happy about was the safety harness cleverly hidden under the exterior plating. Leo showed us how to hook our feet in the chinks of the armor, like stirrups. The seating went: Leo, me, Piper, then Jason.

Leo used the reins to steer the dragon into the sky like he'd done it a thousand times. The second we left the ground I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Cool right?" I heard Leo ask.

"No," I muttered. I wrap my arms around his torso and bury my face into his back.

"What if we get spotted?" Piper asked.

"The Mist," Jason said. "It keeps mortals from seeing magic things. If they spot us, they'll probably mistake us for a small plane or something."

"You sure about that?" Piper asked.

"No," he admitted. "We're making good time. Probably get there by tonight."

"A whole day of flying, great," I said.

"Where are we heading?" Piper asked.

"To find the god of the North Wind," Jason said. "And chase some storm spirits."