[The dragon makes an awful sound, pained and angry. Nico isn't as quick or skilled as Percy, and there's something else weighing him down - a lack of conviction, a loss of self-preservation. He feels sluggish as he moves in for his next strike.
The dragon twists, leathery wings kicking up humid air, and rears around to find its attacker. Blood bubbles up from where Percy sliced it. Nico's sword feels heavy, but he manages to drive in somewhere around the shoulder while the dragon is distracted, and stumbles backward to get away.]